Shadow Wars Inc
by Fairyfae
Summary: Memories have reemerged to haunt Seto, the world is suffering random attacks, Seto suspects his company is involved in weapons dealing and a Pharaoh is brought back to life for a limited time to stop a supernatural disaster. Yaoi. SETOYAMI
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Rating: PG

Pairing: SetoxYami

Genre: Action, Romance

Spoilers: None of which I am aware.

Warning: None

Disclaimer: Me no own...TT (Snuggles Seto plushie)

Summary: Memories long since forgotten have reemerged to haunt Seto. The world is suffering random and unimaginable attacks. Seto suspects his company is involved in weapons dealing and a Pharaoh is brought back to life for a limited time to stop a supernatural disaster and to save his undeclared love

"Darn! Why are these halls always so cold," a dark figure whispered while hugging the wall and rushing down the hallway. In one hand he carried a small jacket. The other hand, he used to guide him through the creeping shadows which seemed to delight in testing his courage and obscuring his sense of direction. Although he knew no one should be about at this time, he could not stop himself from darting his head nervously about in an attempt to spot anyone lurking among the ominous seeming shadows.

At a corner, he slowed down to get his bearings. After all, none of the children at the orphanage were allowed down the sacrosanct halls that ran in front of the head master's office. He wouldn't be here either if it wasn't for that fool. Earlier that day, on the playground, the idiot tricked his baby brother into a rigged contest. As a result his brother lost his jacket and he, himself, was in the process of losing, what he estimated would be approximately four hours of sleep. On top of that, the brain donor was too stupid to give the jacket back after being beaten an unrigged game of his own choice. Needless to say, reclaiming the jacket required the strategic use of force. The figure swiped at a tickle on his forehead and his hand came away wet. He paused to look at it.

"Dang! Dang! Double Dang! Blood!" he thought to himself. "I'm going to have to clean that up before I creep into bed." Already he was pushing the time limit. If he did not get back to his dormitory soon, the night attendant would notice his absence.

The figure was about to continue when he noticed a sliver of light trickling around the corner. The few remaining cuss words he knew and had yet to use that night flew through his mind. The whole point of taking this route was to avoid detection. No one should be in these halls at this time at night. He contemplated his options. It was already to late to go back and try his luck at sneaking past the dormitory's night attendant without getting himself and everyone else on his wing in trouble for breaking curfew. He mentally crossed his fingers. Maybe someone just left a light on in an office.

The figure crouched down and crept slowly around the corner. In front of him was a door, slightly ajar, with a window. Only the head master's office had any glass. If only he could make it past that door without detection, he could cut across the cafeteria, out the back door, and make it to the window he had left open in the dormitory hall. He focused and straining, he could just hear the mumble of low voices. He was too far away to tell what they were saying or even to figure out how many people were in the room. However, he could feel the menacing quality, the cutting edge to the sound as it floated down the hallway. It seemed almost as if the shadows dancing around him had found a voice and that voice was whispering sweet nothings of blood and death.

The figure hesitated. His instincts screamed at him to go back the way he came, to not risk darting in front of the room's doorway. However, this figure suffered from a strong need to know, things good and evil. The young figure crept closer to the door and strained to make out what the voices were saying, his heart pounding out an echoing rhythm determined to make him aware of all the hollow spaces in his body.

Seto's body jack-knifed up in bed, droplets of sweat ambling down his chest, the waistband of his pants already soaked from sweat that had previously competed the same journey. He swiped a shaking hand through his hair, slicking back the soaked mess. He fought his way free of the sheets that had tangled around his legs and stumbled to the window. He leaned his too hot forehead against the cool glass and shut his eyes.

He thought he had defeated all the demons of his past. They were supposed to have all been laid to rest, leaving only battles with the demons of the present and future. As Seto stared out at the night-time façade of the Kaiba Estate, he could not help but wonder, of all the demons, all the darkness that he once harbored in his heart, mind and soul, why are these memories the ones that are coming back to haunt him at night. Why these memories, and why now of all times?

Half a world away, in the heart of a fossilized kingdom, regenerated red eyes blinked open for the first time in three thousand years.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Rating: PG-13 (enough cussing to up the rating)

Pairing: SetoxYami (they meet again in the next chapter)

Genre: Action, Romance

Spoilers: None of which I am aware.

Warning: Cussing.

Disclaimer: Me no own...TT (Snuggles Seto plushie)

Summary: Memories long since forgotten have reemerged to haunt Seto. The world is suffering random and unimaginable attacks. Seto suspects his company is involved in weapons dealing and a Pharaoh is brought back to life for a limited time to stop a supernatural disaster and to save his undeclared love

Seto slammed his clenched fist down onto the polished mahogany desktop in front of him. Eyes narrowed and mouth pinched, he continued to examine the incriminating evidence spread across its surface. Despite the warm sunlight that streaked through the windows spanning the fifty-foot wall behind his desk, Seto felt a chill traverse his tired body. Someone in his company was siphoning funds into weapon production plants. The same production plants that were supposedly long since abandoned and destroyed. Someone was, yet again using Kaiba Corp., _his company_,to create death and destruction. Someone was going to pay for this deception. He would make sure of it. After all, he had little left to live for, just Mokuba who would eventually leave him and his company, a company that he constantly had to struggle to keep. Any vision of happiness vanished with a certain figure years ago.

Kaiba reached out and pressed the intercom button, "Mrs. Sang, see to it that my limo is at the door in ten minutes. Call my jet and tell them to have it ready for immediate departure to Egypt. I want to leave Japan no later than two o'clock. Do I make myself clear."

"Imminently clear Mr. Kaiba. Your limo is on the way as we speak."

With crisp, concise movements, Seto gathered the evidence on his desk and shoved it into his briefcase along with his handheld and his cell phone. He paused only a moment to rub sleep out of his tired eyes and to pinch the bridge of his nose in a brief expression of exhaustion. The constant battles with corrupt officials and his own demons were beginning to get to him. Lately, he had been getting only approximately four hours of sleep a night, not nearly enough to run a company full of both people who depended on him and enemies.

Straitening back up and dropping his hand from the bridge of his nose, he clicked shut the lid of his wireless laptop. Without a backward glance, he picked up his briefcase and laptop and strode across the plush baby blue carpet of his office into his personal elevator. The doors of the elevator slipped shut, blocking sunlight and leaving only the cool artificiality of track lighting. Lips pursed in anger as he again thought on this latest betrayal within his company, he slipped the cell phone back out of his suitcase and dialed his home number.

"Kaiba household. Mokuba speaking. If you're a money grubbing female and you want to speak to my big brother, he's not home at the moment and he's gay as a blue bird anyway so…"

"Mokuba, its me." In the elevator, Seto's left eyebrow was twitching in annoyance at the same time that he was trying to suppress a smirk. Somehow, Mokuba always lightened his black mood. Now his mood was more slate grey… How the hell did Mokuba know he was homosexual anyway? Must be a coincidence.

In his usual emotionless clipped tones, Seto rapped, "I need to leave the country for a day or so. Its unexpected but I will return as soon as I can. While I am gone, you listen to that fool Bakura."

Mokuba whined on the other side of the connection. "Setooo…Bakura's crazy. Anyways, he never lets me do anything."

Seto gave a short, sharp laugh. "What you mean is he's to sharp to let you get anything by him. He may be an ass, but due to his previous profession, he is the best head of security I've ever had. Also, I know I have him on a short leash and he smart enough to know that if anything was to happen to you, I would bring back the age-old practice of drawing and quartering. Yes, he is a bit psychotic, but Ryou keeps him in line and he does manage to keep everything safe as long as I keep him well paid." Seto snorted in his own mind. Psychotic is right. At least he's not a hothead like that stupid puppy nor is he annoying as the friendship girl. At least Bakura was mercenary and Seto knew how to handle mercenaries. After all, he was a capitalist himself. He surrounded himself with sharks that were little more than legalized mercenaries.

Mokuba was not quite done wheedling, "Can I go stay with Yugi or Joey. Pleassse."

Seto winced, he knew he was going to regret this but, "why don't you invite them over while I'm gone." At least then I won't be there to witness their stupidity. "Is that satisfactory?"

"Thanks big brother," Seto could practically see the shit-eating grin on his brothers face, "You're the best." Mokuba's voice practically bounced over the connection, "Have a good trip." Seto shut his cell phone and the elevator doors opened.

The lobby was busy as usual; a melody of harried voices and clicking heals filling the air as people rushed about across the tiled marble floor, the marble covered by a giant embossed KC. Arched pillars towered over people on both sides of the lobby and a black, lacquer security desk sat opposite of five glass revolving doors. The most up-to-date, high-tech monitors circled the parameter of the room close to the ceiling, some of which showcased new products while others showcased different game tournaments. Underneath the monitors, the walls were covered with elaborate murals of Kaiba's theme parks across the world, as well as several of the most famous duel monsters. In the center the room, in the place of honor, was a skylight. In the skylight was a stained glass depiction of the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, wings spread, trumpeting victory in full glory.

Seto tried to tuck his cell phone back into his briefcase without looking but managed instead to drop it.

"Damn! Figures."

In the moment that Seto bent to retrieve it, a shot rang out. Chaos immediately ensued. Seto's heart slammed into his ribcage with the force of a jack hammer as his body dropped flat and rolled to the edge of the elevator. Now covered, his eyes cut sharply to the side in an attempt to spot his attacker. Men and women screamed and ran in panic. The sounds that once filled the lobby with a pleasant music escalated to become a panicked cacophony of noise. The lobby looked like a kaleidoscope of colors as variously dressed individuals rushed passed each other in an un-choreographed dance in an attempt to find cover or leave the building. The security guards pulled out their guns and moved to secure the elevator.

"What are you fools doing." Seto snapped, fury evident in every line of his body, every syllable that he uttered. One security guard shuttered violently.

"Bu…But sir."

"But sir nothing you incompetent." Seto snapped, eyes hard as uncut diamonds. "Your first priority is to secure the lobby and to make sure everyone is safe. Calm this panic before people get hurt and my company suffers even more law suits than we already probably will. I can handle myself. Give me your gun."

Not waiting for the security guard, Seto snatched the gun out of his hand and clicked off the safety. The other guards had already moved to secure the building and to make sure no one had been hurt. Seto confidently strode out of the elevator, eyes darting left and right in an attempt to discern anything unusual. Unfortunately, it seemed that the villain had escaped. Clicking the safety back on, Seto's body whipped back around until he faced the guard whose gun he had commandeered.

"If you value your job, you will gather up every single person that was in this lobby over the last hour and you will question them to see if they saw anything unusual. I will give you access to all the surveillance equipment and give you charge over the rest of the security team for the duration of this task. For the sake of your job, you had better have something to tell me when I get back from my trip."

"You are leaving sir…but where and what about the police."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow, "Never mind where. I am assuming that since my company hired you, you have some level of competence in matters of security. You better hope that's true. You handle the police and have something substantial for me when I get back in three days."

Confident that he had instilled the fear of god and himself into his subordinate, Kaiba dismissed the guard, a Mr. Shokun according to his badge, and retrieved his cell phone from the elevator floor. Two different security guards moved to walk around him, one in front and one in back. He stepped out of the elevator and through a hidden, non-revolving door, on the side of the building, immediately to the left of his personal elevator. His limo was waiting on the curb. He dismissed the two remaining guards with instructions to follow the orders of Mr. Shokun until he returned.

"Take me to the airport." Seto barked before leaning back and dialing the number to what was once the widows-house to the estate and was now the home to his head of security.

"Bakura here. This better be fucking important if you don't want to die."

"Is that anyway to talk to your employer." Seto spit out, words loud and sharp, "And its always important, theif." Scorn coated every word, "I'm the only one who has this number and I don't exactly like to talk to you for social reasons."

Bakura pulled the phone away from his ear. "This is exactly how I talk to my employer since it's you priest." Never one to be beat where scorn is concerned, Bakura continued, "Who soured your milk this morning."

Seto leaned forward briefly to press a button. A tinted plain of glass lowered, separating his breathing space from that of the driver's. Leaning back Seto replied, "Skip the pleasantries Bakura. I'm in no mood. Someone just tried to assassinate me." He crossed his long legs, his agitation evident as he impatiently bounced his right foot up and down. "And don't call me priest."

"You don't say. Here I thought I would be the one to have the pleasure of killing you. Buuut….Since were talking about assassins…I suppose this call is to request the use of some of my…shall we say more specialized skills."

Seto could practically see the maniacal grin on Bakura's face at the opportunity to conduct mischief. Good behavior had begun to chafe on him. One condition of Bakura getting a body was that he be on good behavior. Furthermore, his behavior was to be monitored and controlled by none other than Seto Kaiba seeing that his 'other half' was such a pushover. No one had ever accused Seto of being a pushover. Seto forced Bakura to put his criminal skills to good use. Bakura's job was to ensure that crime did not happen to Seto and Mokuba. So far the job had been pretty nine to five. Now however…

"I want you to do a little professional snooping." Seto ordered, "See who wants me dead and why."

"Don't most people want you dead."

"Shut up and just listen for once you white haired monkey. Despite your aptitude, pissing me off is not part of your job description. Do what your told and I will continue to ignore some of your more colorful activities like we both know you want me to."

Seto's lips pursed as he looked out the window. Damn, it was taking him longer to get to the airport than he thought. The incident had delayed him and now they were stuck in lunch hour traffic.

"See if there are any contracts out on my life. You have my permission to use whatever means are necessary and are at your disposal. Yugi and Joey should be at my home watching Mokuba for the next couple of days. I suppose I'll have to count on those fools to watch over him. See if you can find anything out before they have to leave him alone. I'll inform Mokuba that he is not in your care for the next couple days. If you find anything out, you know this number." Without any further civilities, Seto flipped his phone closed.

Moments later his phone rang. He opened it and pressed it to his face. "Whatever you say Asshole but your paying me a bonus." Bakura's sneered and then hung up.

Seto scoffed. At least his life was never boring. During the rest of the trip to the airport, Seto called Mokuba and made him aware of the new arrangements. No arguments there. He also made all arrangements necessary to fix any damage that may have ensued during the commotion in the lobby. Any damage should be assessed and repaired before he set foot back in the building.

Firelight flickered, gilding stone walls in a mantle of elegance. A regal figure separated itself from a patch of darkness. The fire bathed the figure turning him into a vision of gold, black, copper and crimson. The figure's eyes slipped shut in a type of ecstatic contemplation, his heart pounding in anticipation. How many times he had dreamed of standing in the presence of his dragon one more time and soon he would have that chance. His dragon was coming closer. He could feel it. Despite the gravity of the situation, he exalted in being alive again. The time to leave his tomb was approaching and he would see his reason for living shortly.

The figure glided across the room and alighted, dare one say daintily, on the dusty surface of, what seemed to be, an overturned sculpture of him. He reached into darkness, the cavernous opening of his own sarcophagus, and removed a handful of small figurines. The talismans were white and barely five centimeters in height, but each was carved in exquisite detail. Laying them out on his palm, the figure sifted through them until he found that for which he was looking. Firelight flashed on ivory as the ex-pharaoh grinned.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: SetoxYami (they meet here…kinda)

Genre: Action, Romance

Spoilers: None of which I am aware.

Warning: Cussing, blood, gore (mostly not to the main characters), squick (whats squick, I don't know if my story has this but I thought I should throw it in just in case), Semi-nudity and sexual imagery…kinda.

Disclaimer: Me no own...TT (Snuggles Seto plushie)

Summary: Memories long since forgotten have reemerged to haunt Seto. The world is suffering random and unimaginable attacks. Seto suspects his company is involved in weapons dealing and a Pharaoh is brought back to life for a limited time to stop a supernatural disaster and to save his undeclared love

Margret Chou here, live at the site of yet another mysterious, and deadly attack. Just looking around one cannot help but be chilled by the massive and brutal destruction that has occurred at yet another production plant in the heart of South Africa. As with the other attacks, the damage is inexplicable leaving experts, and spectators alike stymied. The few living witnesses seemed stunned into incoherency as they mumble about monster insects and breathing shadows….

Seto impatiently flicked off the T.V., causing the screen to fold into the Escalade's ceiling. /The reception sucks and the world seemed to get crazier everyday. He was thoroughly sick of all the news reports sensationalizing what were little more than gorilla attacks in third world countries. If the leaders of those countries had the balls to keep order, none of this would be happening and reporters would be back to dramatizing the rescue of kittens from tree branches. /

Seto stared out of the window, bored with the enforced inactivity. /He would have taken the helicopter but, unfortunately, he had no idea if there was anywhere in the proximity of the plant suitable to land. As it was, he hated to think how the sand coating the poor excuse for a road they were on was affecting the gears in the car. This region of Egypt was not set up for wireless reception so currently; he could not access the Internet. Furthermore, his satellite phone was practically useless in the middle of this godforsaken desert. His hands were tied for the moment. He would have to trust Bakura's 'special skills' for the time being. That chafed. He was unused to trusting anyone./

Still staring, he was almost mesmerized by the golden ocean of broken quartz and limestone above which the very air seemed to ripple. Out of curiosity, Seto scooted over to the door and lowered the window. Almost instantly, he was bombarded with the hottest breeze he could ever imagine encountering, scalding air that put man-made heaters to shame. He rolled the window up again and thanked the gods, the same ones he still didn't quite believe in, for the invention of air conditioning. Just about the time that the glare of sun on sand began to make his eyes water, Seto spotted his destination, a grey fortress that seemed to sway in the distance. It almost seemed as if he could get out and walk there even though he knew they were still a good hour away. He settled back, "Wake me when we reach the gates."

"Yes Sir. Mr. Kaiba." Seto closed his eyes, shutting out images of desolate surroundings.

"Mr. Kaiba, Sir." The guard stated quickly in a slightly raised, shaky tone.

Seto, instantly alert, straitened his back and leaned towards the front seat. "What is it?"

"Sir." The driver sounded nervous, disturbed. "We've arrived at the front gate but no one is here…and the gate itself seems to have been ripped off its hinges." Kaiba pursed his lips. He could see the driver shift back and forth in his seat, as if uncomfortable in his own skin.

"What! Stay here. Don't go anywhere until I can return." Seto ordered while stepping out of the back of the vehicle. He instantly felt coated with grime as the breeze blew a fine coating of yellow-brown dust all over him. After staying here for a short period, he now knew that all Egyptians were just pale people with dirt permanently ingrained in their skin. He resisted the urge to scratch himself, instead adjusting his hat to better keep the sun off his face and out of his eyes. As a concession to the heat, Seto had abandoned his usual trench coat in favor of a light, and as of now, untucked, cotton buttonup in light blue. His pants were off white linen also designed to keep him cool. Carefully, he stepped around the vehicle and eyed the spectacle in front of him. The place was a disaster. He was beginning to have a bad feeling about this but, if Seto Kaiba could be deterred from a course of action by anything so petty as a feeling, he would not now be one of the most powerful CEO's in the world.

He returned briefly to the car to reaffirm his orders to the driver and to retrieve the old building's blue prints. Although he had thoroughly studied the layout of the building on the flight to Egypt, he still thought they might be useful, especially since, what was left of the facility, seemed to be a mess. /Perhaps his information was incorrect and the building had, indeed been abandoned…but he would check things out just to make sure. The best place to start would probably be the offices. If there was any recent activity, it should be evident in there./

Seto calmly walked through the gates and turned to the left. He was facing the skeleton of what had once been a large office building. Most of the windows were broken, the building vandalized. /Who the hell would vandalize a building this far out in the middle of nowhere./ The glass doors to the building seemed to have been ripped off their hinges and were nowhere to be found. Seto gingerly stepped through the hole in the front of the building, where the doors used to be and found himself staring at an abandoned lobby. An overturned desk was across from him, on either side of which was an elevator. To the left was a door marked stairs. He took the stairs.

He stepped onto the second floor and into a hallway. The walls were a dull, institutional white; the same white that made buildings seem so listless and depressing. Only the occasional door and long window broke the monotony. That wasn't what disturbed Kaiba, however. The most disturbing element was that the building had been in use, and very recently. Someone had left the lights on…well, the lights that weren't broken and dangling in bits from the ceiling, throwing the occasional spark at unwary visitors were on anyway. The building was equipped with halogen bulbs, which ran in long rectangles down the hall casting a sickly yellow light over everything.

Almost defiantly, Seto moved to the center of the hall and began to walk, in perfectly timed steps, toward the first open door on his left. For some reason, he could feel his stomach churning, his muscles seemed to cramp in rebellion, as if trying to move his body backwards instead of forwards. Sweat began to bead on his forehead but he refused to give in to his own groundless fears. He was Seto Kaiba Dammit. He could handle anything. For the smallest instant, Seto's vision clouded and he was somewhere else, someone else…no, himself but younger. He was in another hallway…a dark, equally ominous hallway and his terror was escalating, threatening to engulf him. A sound to his left forced Seto back to the present. He turned to the side. He was in front of an office door. Looking in, his mind froze.

/WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT// Seto ears were assaulted with the sound of tearing flesh, a wet oozing sound that turned his mind to mush and his knees to jello. In front of him were two beasts, straight from his nightmares of another world, a world he had seen only briefly after his first duel with Yami so many years ago. In the middle of the room crouched two…wolves for lack of a better word, except _these_ wolves were sixteen hands high, easily, with glistening coats covered in some sticky liquid. They occasionally snapped vicious jaws at each other while fighting over something sitting in front of them, what that something was, Seto's mind refused to say. It was red, it smelled awful, and that was all he was willing to admit.

Suddenly, a movement in the corner of his eye caught and drew his attention. Cautiously, Seto slid his focus to the side, carefully keeping the…things…within range of his vision. Sitting carelessly on, yet another, overturned desk was a small boy, no older than ten. Seto was close enough to him to see the emotionless expression on that young face, an expression that put his own poker face to shame. The child's eyes were bland, almost entirely black; his pupils enveloped his irises. Dull, tangled black hair hung in dirty clumps around a dark face; lips were set in an impassive line. The boy seemed uninjured, but he was filthy, covered in the blood.

Seto felt his fingers go lax and he dropped the blue prints he had been holding. The monsters' heads whipped around to face him with a snarl. Despite the danger, the boy's visage kept Seto still, almost as if his feet had been nailed down. Slowly, the boy's hand rose, he pointed at Seto and uttered a single, flat word, "Destroy."

Seto moved. He moved like he had never moved before. The monstrous dogs lunged at him as his feet pounded down the hallway. He tripped on something and crashed into the wall right before the hallway forked. The cheep lighting dazed him, casting creeping shadows; sweat poured into his eyes. His breathing so strained he could practically hear it over the clicking of claws and the gnashing of teeth, both of which indicated the extreme proximity of his pursuers. Seto's mind kicked into overdrive making the walls seems alive with malice, each side seemed to close in on him in an attempt to block his escape. Never pausing, he used the wall as a brace to push quickly around the corner moments before one of the beasts slammed into the spot he had just occupied. The other beast collided violently with the first and Seto had a moment to get further ahead as the two predators angrily fought each other. His only chance was to get to the experiment labs on the other side of this floor. Those rooms were always secured with steel doors and key codes. He would just need a moment of extra time to break the lock. This time he thanked his own paranoia for making him memorize the blue prints on the way over here.

Seto's feet pounded and his chest heaved. He made it. He was in the process of breaking the lock when a chilling sound reverberated down the passageway and directly into the center of his body. That unearthly howl marked the end of his temporary reprieve. Just as the monsters slid around the corner at the end of the hall, nails scraping in a high-pitched squeal, the steel door slid open with a hiss. Throwing his body inside, he slammed his fist on the button to his left without turning around; causing the door to slid shut again. Mere seconds later, the door shook with the impact of two huge bodies. Startled and, still panicked, he tried to jerk away from the door, only to find that the bottom of his pant leg was snagged.

Suddenly, an eerie quiet filled the building. Seto pressed himself flat against the door at his back and closed his eyes, trying to find his focus. Forcibly steadying both his heartbeat and respiration, Seto slowly opened his eyes to take in his surroundings for the first time only to have his heat freeze once more. Idly his mind wondered how many times one heart could pause like that without causing permanent damage.

All around him was complete carnage. Body parts were strewn about the room; faces were eternally sculpted into looks of abject horror. Directly at his feet lay the upper half of a woman, dressed in an amazingly unharmed lab coat. He couldn't find the rest of her and he was not sure he wanted to.

He would not break down. He would think. He would use his brain…to think… and he would get out of this.

A sound broke the silence, a light footstep…the tread of a child. The sound stopped in front of the door and he heard a yelp, almost friendly sounding. It would have sounded friendly, anyway, if the sound was possible anywhere in the realm of nature, but unfortunately it had an otherworldly quality. The same quality that told him he was still neck deep in shit and sinking. He glanced to the side and saw the key panel light up.

"Damn it!" the kid knows how to open the lock. Seto had only moments to free his leg and get out of there. Without another thought, he yanked off his loafers, unbuttoned his pants and slipped out of them. Ignoring the carnage, he looked around one more time. Directly across from him was a window. He was only on the second story and he had a better chance of surviving the fall than he had of surviving his furry friends outside the door. He dodged the long, island-like counters that were distributed throughout the room and tried to open the window. It was not his lucky day. These had to be the only windows in the entire building that 1) didn't open and 2) were not broken. Desperately, he looked around. Picking up a stool, he gathered all his strength and threw it at the window. The stool bounced harmlessly off the windowpane.

Seto screamed, "Damnnnn! I am never building another building with bullet proof glass and bloody be-damned hallways!"

Seto's eyes widened to an impossible size as he spun on his heal to face the door. There in the open doorway stood the boy and the monster-wolves. The wolves' jaws gapped in sadistic grins as they slinked with deadly grace into the room, one moving left, and the other right. In the center stood the boy, impassive and silent. Seto took a deep breath and pulled his body to its full height. Chin tilted to the ceiling, eyes narrowed and directed down at the small figure in front of him, Seto glared. If he had to die, he would not die cowering. Suddenly, the almost sacred feeling to the moment broke as the monster wolf on his right lunged, his partner lunging only a second later.

Light flooded the room, and Seto instinctively moved his arm to shield his eyes. He had long since lost his hat in the chase. Lowering his arm, Seto stared in wonder. If everything else that had happened in this forsaken wasteland had not convinced him he was hallucinating, this did. Floating a meter in the air and barely two meters in front of him, where the first wolf-monster should be right than, was a magicians box. Events tumbled into each other as the other wolf-monster slammed into the box and fell to the ground, stunned into unconsciousness. The impact caused the three doors on the front of the box to burst open and the figure inside to collapse onto Seto, driving him to the ground. The box disappeared.

Seto, now on his back, was enveloped by the exotic scent of lotus blooms and spicy Mediterranean body oils. His nose was buried in soft tufts of black and…Burgundy hair? His arms, arms that of their own volition, moved to encircle the weight now resting on top of him, brushed against the silky smooth surface of oiled skin. /This was definitely not the wolf-monster. / Without conscious thought, Seto allowed his hands to trail down the surface on which they rested until they encountered bunched material. Bypassing that, his hands encountered a smooth, delectable curve, the tips of his fingers digging into the crevice that separated the two mounds. His hands spasmed and clenched.

Seto's skin seemed to tighten and time stood still. Only one person had ever made him feel like this, insecure and excited all at once…And that person was wearing a skirt…WITH NOTHING UNDERNEATH.

Seto became acutely aware of the other's groin, pressed securely next to his own, separated only by the material of his thin shirt and satin boxers. His breathing altered from heaving gasps to short, uneven choppy breaths. He began to wonder if his body could handle the constant, abrupt changes in mood. Against his will, he felt the lower regions of his body stir.

Seto stayed where he was, incapable of movement, as the lithe figure on top of him moved its arms to either side of his body to brace on the floor. The figure pushed up, raising its head off of his chest. The head tilted to face him, flaming crimson eyes focusing intently on impossibly open blue orbs. Seto's eyes actually began to ache from being open too wide for too long. Seto's lids lowered and his gazed zeroed in on the lush, parted lips of his captor; he could fell the others breath brush over his face in a quick panting, rhythm.

"Seto," a voice reminiscent of his past penetrated his brain. /This could not be happening. He was not in the middle of a death trap with his lustful obsession…passionate enemy…hated rival…That's right…his hated rival on top of him…Practically NAKED. THEY WERE BOTH PRACTICALLY NAKED AND PRESSED CHEST TO CHEST, GROIN TO FUCKING GROIN. No. He had to calm down. He had to think through this rationally to die. NO, NO, NO! He had to think through this rationally to NOT die. He did not want to die, right/

"Seto? Are you alright?"

/That voice again. What the HELL IS GOING ON! Maybe he was dead. After all, he was never supposed to hear that voice again so that must be it. Well if this is death why the HELL hadn't he done this earlier. This wasn't so bad. /

Kaiba looked up just in time to see that filthy little apathetic bastard that sicked the monsters on him, leaning over the beast, helping it lumber back to its feet. The beast turned malevolent eyes on him and leapt.

Kaiba screamed, "Yami! Nooo!" and he rolled them both over, completely covering the body now beneath him. He only had enough time to glimpse Yami lifting his arm, a white object dangling from his clenched fist. He felt the excruciating bite of pain as claws ripped through his back and everything faded to black.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: SetoxYami

Genre: Action, Romance

Spoilers: None of which I am aware.

Warning: Cussing, blood, gore (mostly not to the main characters), squick (whats squick, I don't know if my story has this but I thought I should throw it in just in case), Semi-nudity and sexual imagery…kinda.

Disclaimer: Me no own...TT (Snuggles Seto plushie)

Summary: Memories long since forgotten have reemerged to haunt Seto. The world is suffering random and unimaginable attacks. Seto suspects his company is involved in weapons dealing and a Pharaoh is brought back to life for a limited time to stop a supernatural disaster and to save his undeclared love

Chapter 4:

He wondered how modern man had managed to change the smell of death. That hospitals smell of death is as true today as it was in ancient Egypt. Only now, instead of death smelling dry and dusty, death smelled wet and acrid, a strange mix of man-made chemicals and god-made blood. The room was so sterile. It almost seemed that the sterilization process eliminated not just the bacterial and viral invaders, but all forms of vitality that may have otherwise existed in the stark surroundings. Even the room's single small dingy window looked out onto the barren industrial roof of the next-door building.

The nurse on duty had offered him something from the cafeteria, an offering he promptly refused. He was a pharaoh. He had standards. His slaves had eaten better than did the sick and ailing here. Yugi, Joey, and Mokuba were on the way with food and clothing, no questions asked. Well, really, they never stopped asking questions until Yami told them he was in the hospital with a badly wounded Kaiba. Then they were all business, scrambling to help a man who never admitted, out loud, that he was their friend…rushing to cross oceans, flying to see a big brother that comprised everything in one young boys world.

Riiiing. Riiiing.

Elegant fingers reached over to lift the receiver. In a tired, subdued voice, "Yami here."

"We're at the airport now Yami. I'm calling from the company limo," the tears in Mokuba's voice seemed to flow down the connection, "Is he alright? Tell me he's still alright. He's stable now right? Right? Please Yami, can I talk to him?"

Yami took a steadying breath in an effort to keep his own tension from communicating itself to the worried sibling, "Mokuba, slow down. Your brother is fine. He's resting now so you can't talk to him. His condition has stabilized. Don't worry. I am here and I won't let anything happen to your big brother."

A sob broke on the other side of the line, "I…I know Yami. I know you won't let anything happen. But…but I just found out that someone tried to kill him earlier. And I can't…I can't…He didn't tell me Yami. I don't know how you're back from wherever you went, but I am so glad you're with him. He'll tell you things. Please….," if Yami had been next to him, he would have been soaked in the deluge of tears that followed the outpouring of words.

So tired, he thought as he raised his hand and rubbed his forehead, Mokuba's pain adding to the weight that seemed determined to drag his heart down into his feet. Yami heard low sounds in the background, probably Joey and Yugi, trying to calm Mokuba down. If Bakura was in the car, for once he exhibited the good sense to remain quiet.

Trying to project his usual confidence to Mokuba, Yami stated, "I know this is impossible, but try not to worry. Your brother is strong. You know that. He is already on his way to getting better. I'll see you soon. Remember…try to be strong…like your brother. Goodbye Mokuba. See you soon"

He heard shaky breaths, "Alright Yami. I'll try." Sob, "Bye." The phone line went dead. He replaced the receiver, his hand returning to its previous occupation.

Beep. Click. Beep. Click. Beep. Click.

His finger tapped the bedside table's faux wood surface, next to the phone, his rhythm countering the steady beat of the heart-monitor. His other hand straightened the thin cotton gown that was currently his only form of attire as he shifted uncomfortably in the plastic torture devise that passed for a chair.

Once more, he thanked the gods for maps that mark hospital locations and high-tech navigation systems. Yami snorted quietly, eyes still sad. Leave it to Kaiba to travel in style. Thankfully, the staff wasted no time questioning him when the Escalade made its reckless appearance at the emergency entrance. Instead, they rushed to remove the scantily clad, obviously pained CEO from his arms, a difficult task seeing that Yami's fingers refused to relinquish their hold. That dealt with, they looked at his own blood stained lab coat and immediately bustled him into an examination room. Finding nothing wrong with him, they bustled more until he was in the embarrassingly thin piece of cotton crap he was wearing at the moment. He almost wished he had not left his tunic back at the…well THERE…and it had been soaked in bodily fluids…even more than the coat he borrowed from what was left of …he thought it must have once been a 'her.'

Needless to say, Kaiba would need a new vehicle. If Kaiba's own blood had not ruined the seats, the twisted remnants of the driver's body and Yami's own…eclectic…driving skills had totaled it. Yami justified his lack of skill in that he could have done better if he had been willing to place Kaiba anywhere else in the car other than across his lap. It is very hard to drive with the dieing form of a loved one cutting off the circulation in your legs. Yami did pause long enough in his mad dash to the hospital to throw the unknown boy in the back seat. The child, the only other living creature in the room he had appeared in, seemed broken to him, soulless…trapped. Yami knew how it felt to be trapped.

The next hour did not bear revisiting. Needless to say, Yami informed the staff of their new patient's identity and in an instant the emergency wing was filled with more lawyers than doctors, every single one constantly reminding Yami that he was under no obligation at this point to say anything to anyone. Lucky for them, Yami was politically savvy or someone might have ended up in the Shadow Realm.

Yami stared at the unnaturally slack face of his dragon, peaceful in it's drug-induced repose. His heart ached to the steady beat of past images, images that mercilessly replayed the moments in which he had almost lost his dragon to deaths clutches, his pain magnified by his guilt. Kaiba's death would have been his fault. He knew before he arrived that Kaiba was in a dangerous situation and he knew that creatures from the shadow realm were involved. He should have been on the alert but he never even considered the possibility that he could be under attack from more than one creature. He had allowed himself to be cocky…and distracted.

Further, because of his carelessness, one of his talismans had burned out. He could no longer use the magician's box. He visualized himself as he was hours, almost a full day ago, perched on his sarcophagus, talisman of the magician's box dangling from his fingers, the other talismans secured in a pouch tied around his waist.

Yami's smile flirted with the firelight as he contemplated his options for getting out of his 'final resting place.' A chuckle escaped him as he remembered the bargain Bakura agreed to in order to gain a body. The pesky thief was now Kaiba's charge. If he could switch places with Bakura that would get him close to Kaiba _and _it would get Bakura out of his hair. What was it his light used to say? He would be killing two birds with one stone? The ex-pharaoh's mirth increased as he visualized Bakura's head on a vulture's body, an arrow piercing the vulture's heart. After all, tombs were Bakura's specialty. Let him get out of there without getting damaged.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, almost as if his heart had stopped. He fell backwards off his perch, impacting the stone floor hard. His hand moved and made a clutching motion over his chest as he struggled to breath. He felt as if he was running a marathon, one on which his life depended. As he had once felt his dragon's proximity, he felt now his dragon's panic. Kaiba was in trouble. Reaching out with his otherworldly senses, he encountered the presence of shadow magic; specifically, the creeping evil of a rampant shadow monster

"KAIBA!" the name ricocheted off the tomb walls as Yami reached deep into himself. He felt the shadow magic, the source that was animating his now breathing body. It wisped and curled around inside like smoke in a crowded bar: elusive, caressing and yet impossible to grasp. He drew on the magic, like one would draw on breath, sucking the curling mass to the desired location. It glided from his heart, down his arm and into the talisman clasped tightly in his hand. Suddenly, he felt his head spin and a box appeared in front of him. He stood fearlessly as he felt his body pulled into the floating object.

Yami stood in stunned wonder. The inside of the box seemed to be a universe in itself, filled with darkness, stars, and the colorful swirls of different galaxies. He drifted gracefully into his mystifying surroundings, peace encompassing his mind. As he drifted he became aware of a door, one not unlike the door he had glided away from. On his journey towards the new door, he briefly glimpsed a massive creature moving in a direction opposite his own. He had just reached his destination when the breath got knocked out of his body.

Yami felt a blush warm his checks as his mind returned to the moment of his greatest distraction. He relived the feeling of impacting bodies as he remembered being jettisoned from the box.

Inhaling deeply, Yami found his nose buried in a man's chest…a young, sweaty, well-built man's chest. The musky scent of wood smoke and sweat captured his senses. The man's shirt was soaked with perspiration and Yami's eyes could not help but focus on the perfectly erect nipple visible through the now transparent shirt. He knew this body. He watched it almost everyday from the pool of all-seeing. It took all his will power not to dart out his tongue and caress the tempting peak in front of him.

Yami 's distraction increased as he became aware of long, strong limbs wrapping around his body. Instantly his since of touch heightened. He was aware of every inch of skin, the cool air brushing over his bared legs and bottom, the bunched tunic at his waist, the warm tingling caused by calloused fingertips running down his back. Closing his eyes, Yami reveled in the feel of heat as hands tightly grasped, dimpling his bottom and inadvertently grinding half-erect manhoods against each other. He allowed himself to be caught up in the burning ache caused by having held his breath too long and the numbness in his brain as his arms lifted his body, allowing him to stare into shocked, glassy blue eyes.

Yami snapped back to the present as he was forced to adjust his gown yet again. At least the baggy material was good for hiding some things. A slight hitch in the EKG focused his attention back on Kaiba. He watched as Seto winced in his sleep, body tossing slightly to the side as if trying to throw something off. Yami's crinckled brow mirrored the distress he saw in the others sleeping expression. Yami dipped a rag into a dish of cool water laying on the nightstand. Gently, he soothed Kaiba's brow until the prone figure settled back into a restful sleep. Tenderly, he bent down and, with his lips, caught a single stray bead of water that had trailed down to catch in the fold off Kaiba's eye. Assured of his patient's well-being, his mind returned to the images of the past, the images that would probably haunt him for millennia to come.

Yami felt the unexpected jerk of his body as he was wrenched around, only to look over a broad shoulder and see a nightmare beast rending his fleshy shield. Without thought, his body reacted. His hand rocketed towards the beast as he forcefully poured power into the talisman clenched in his fist. His head swam with nauseating force, as the box appeared, the beast now trapped inside. Heart jumping erratically, Yami clutched the body on top of him until a crash jerked him out of his senseless stupor.

He looked up and was immediately captivated by the horror of his grotesque surroundings. Yami's mind bulked as it began to register the smells that permeated the room, the stench of drying corpses and opened intestines. Body parts were strewn everywhere. Sunlight poured into the room in a cheerful mockery of the scene in front of him. Still alert to danger, Yami continued to scan the room to detect the source of the noise. In front of him where the box had deposited its contents lay the remaining parts of a sarcophagus lid, one large section of which lay on top of a boy, the only other intact person baring himself and his protector. Yami slowly became aware of a warm stickiness that was coating his hands. He lifted them to his face and saw rivulets of red run in abstract patterns across his palm and down his wrist.

"Gods! Seto! Seto answer me!" Yami slid out from under the body that lay, a still weight on top of him. If possible, his blood ran even colder as he gazed upon the ragged, torn flesh of his dragons back. "Setoooooooo……

Beep. Click. Beep. Click. Beep. Click.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Rating: PG-17

Pairing: SetoxYami (they meet again in the next chapter)

Genre: Action, Romance

Spoilers: None of which I am aware.

Warning: Cussing.

Disclaimer: Me no own...TT (Snuggles Seto plushie)

Summary: Memories long since forgotten have reemerged to haunt Seto. The world is suffering random and unimaginable attacks. Seto suspects his company is involved in weapons dealing and a Pharaoh is brought back to life for a limited time to stop a supernatural disaster and to save his undeclared love

"Yami!" the door slammed against the wall with enough force to leave a dent.

A small body launched itself into the seated figure promptly bouncing the figure out of the chair, off of the bedside table and onto the floor.

"Aibou." Yami simultaneously rubbed his head with one hand and rubbed the back of his one-time host with the other. "I am glad to see that you're happy to see me."

"Of course I'm happy to see you." Yugi hugged Yami with all the might in his small body. "We all are." Yami's eyes followed the direction of Yugi's gaze to see Joey and Bakura standing in the doorway, Bakura cluching his sides in mirth.

"You know Pharaoh," Bakura smirked through his laughing, "For once I feel like I'm seeing the real you."

Yami's lips pursed in confusion until he looked down at himself to see that his gown had, once again hitched around his waist. Blushing, he hastily set his abiou away from himself and straightened his gown. He was beginning to understand the modern obsession with underwear. Glaring at the thief, he stood, "Don't laugh! You would never be so lucky."

"Don't flatter yourself, Pharaoh. My tastes run much more along the lines of tall, dark and rich over there." Bakura prodded, eyes dancing with enjoyment at his small malice.

"Keep trying me Bakura and you just might find some shadowy playmates in your bed one night." Yami growled.

"Try it." Bakura sneered.

Yami was about to reply when he spotted the small figure huddled behind Bakura's legs. Choosing to ignore the pest for the time being he instead directed his next statement to the young boy.

"Mokuba. Don't you want to see your big brother for yourself? Come over here." Mokuba crept out from behind Bakura's legs, eyes cast down. Slowly walking towards Yami he whispered, "He's doing well?"

Yami smiled at the boy. "Of course. I'm sure he would love to hear your voice." Mokuba crept over to Seto's bedside.

"Hey big brother. I'm here now." Mokuba looked back up at Yami.

Smiling, Yami picked Mokuba up and set him on the bed. "You brothers back is hurt so you may not want to lay on his chest but you could lay next to him if you want."

Returning Yami's smile with a watery one of his own, Mokuba snuggled up to his brother's side, tucking his head close to his brother's bicep. Grasping Seto's hand in his own, Mokuba whispered, "I'm here big brother. I am never going to let you go anywhere without me ever again."

Yami laid a hand on Mokuba's hair in an expression of both reassurance and fondness before turning to face the others in the room. "Did you bring the items I asked for?"

Yugi bit his lips, "We brought them but I'm afraid we were kinda in a rush. We didn't really have time to buy you anything in the sizes you gave us so we had to improvise."

Joey smiled as he reached into the bag he was carrying, "Hey man! Now you get to dress in style." He pulled out a pair of jeans and a baggy green t-shirt. "You're bigger than the Yug-man now so ya hafta wear some of my clothes."

Yami looked on in horror as he wondered if it was too late to keep on the hospital gown. He quickly masked his expression. Ah well…he had to do what he had to do. "Thanks Joey. If you'll give me a moment to go change…."

"Sure thing man. You can tell us what happened when you get back." Joey handed the items over. Yami stepped over Bakura who was currently rolling on the floor laughing and into the adjoining bathroom.

Stripping out of the despised hospital gown, Yami held up the jeans. He was not wearing used underwear, at least not underwear used by Joey or Bakura, so he would have to go commando. Studying his new garment he winced. It's true, the pant legs were long enough but even after wearing leather for so long, the crotch was going to be a little snug. Geez, how can Joey fit in these things without becoming a eunuch. Surely, he could not actually be so small that these fit comfortably. Now he knew why Joey's t-shirts were always untucked. If not, he would have been arrested for indecent exposure long ago. Yami carefully tucked himself into the pants and was in the process of slipping on the t-shirt when he heard a shout from the other room.

"Yami! He's awake!"

Yami threw the t-shirt the rest of the way on and rushed back into the other room. There, on the bed, Seto blinked groggily, slowly looking around at the excited figures surrounding him. Well, Yugi and Mokuba were excited. Joey looked cautious and Bakura looked like…well Bakura looked like an asshole. Bakura always looks like an asshole.

"Seto!" Yami gasped drawing Seto's attention. Seto's eyes wandered down Yami's figure, taking in his new body…and clothes.

"My god," Seto's voice croaked, "I've died and gone to hell."

"Seto. Thank god your alright." Mokuba's voice piped in as he threw himself bodily across Seto, causing his brother to gasp and wheeze in pain. "Mokuba kicked off from the bed, "Oh god. I'm sorry."

Seto took a moment to get his breath before reassuring his brother. "It's alright. Don't worry about it." Looking around at the figures surrounding him. "What the hell is going on."

Yugi, Joey, and Mokuba looked at him incredulously. Bakura looked at Yami, "That's what I would like to know."

Yami shifted, back going ramrod straight as all eyes came to rest on him, "I'll tell you what I know but I am afraid that I don't know everything."

Seto snorted, voice still gravelly, "I don't care if you know everything. Someone better tell me something before I hurt someone."

Bakura raised a snide eyebrow, "I don't think you're in the position to hurt anyone today priest."

"Shut-up Bakura," Yami returned to the bathroom for a moment to fill a glass with water before moving to join everyone at Seto's bedside. Setting the water on the bedside table, Yami helped Seto into a sitting position, help that was received by Seto only reluctantly. Yami handed Seto the water and waited.

When Seto was done drinking, Yami took the glass and placed it back in the bathroom. Under the weight of everyone's stare, Yami leaned against the bathroom doorway. Taking a deep breath he ordered, "Bakura, get my pouch out of the drawer in the bedside table and dump out the contents."

"Dammit Pharaoh! I never was, nor will I ever be, your slave. Get your own damn pouch…"

"Bakura!" Seto yelled, "Get the bloody bedamned pouch out of the drawer and dump the shit out. I am getting tired of waiting for an explanation. This is my company everyone is fooling with and my patience is getting short."

Bakura snorted while reluctantly moving to do as he was told, "One, what patience? You have patience? Two, this seems to be your life someone is fooling with, not your damn company. You'd think a wiseass like you would know the difference. Get your priorities straight."

Mokuba whimpered in protest.

"Bakura." Seto's unspoken threat hung in the air.

"Alright, alright. I'm doing it. Keep your dress on." Bakura opened the drawer, pulled out the pouch, carelessly dumping the contents onto the bed.

Bakura's eyes widened and his breath caught. Slowly, he turned to face Yami's level gaze. "These are…."

Yami sighed and pushed off of the doorframe, "Yes Bakura. That is exactly what they are. Those are talismans usually used only in the shadow realm. There purpose, to control shadow monsters. More specifically, they are a means of control that can be used only by shadow monsters to control other shadow monsters. I burnt one out recently in my effort to save Kaiba."

Yugi's eyes were wide and glassy, his voice shaky, "What do you mean Yami. You can't mean that…" Joey placed a comforting arm across his best friends shoulders. "But shadow monsters have to be connected to someone to be here. They have to work for someone right?"

"Yugi, I'm sorry. This body is not natural. There was no other way I could come back once I made my decision and I had to come back at least for a little while. And, yes. Technically, I 'work' for Kaiba. As his monster, I am connected to him and am here only as long as he is in need of my protection. Unfortunately time is short." Yami lowered his head in thought. How to begin…

Water danced in a magnificent display over light and dark, its streams gurgling downward over plains of obsidian and quartz to land smoothly in the pool at the base of the cliffside. Mist curled up around the base of the falls creating a mass of prisms each of which fractured the light into a spectrum of vibrant colors. The land surrounding the pool was rolling and lush, a green landscape dotted with exotic flowers, each providing a unique pleasure for the senses.

In an effort to caress the image captured in the pool's iridescent plane, Yami glided his fingers over its surface causing the image to ripple and distort. Releasing a melancholy sigh, he withdrew his hand. Who knew he would regret leaving so much. But, to be fair, he never knew that his feelings could be returned…would have been returned…until it was too late. The figure in the pool stood up, and slammed closed his laptop, the figure obviously passionately angry about something. Yami chucked. His love was always passionately angry about something.

Yami sighed again, this time in pleasure, as fingers drifted softly through his hair. "Is it really so bad here. Do you regret coming so much." A melodious voice drifted softly over the noise of falling water.

Yami rolled over so he could stare up at the beautiful face above him. He was always struck with wonder every time he remembered that the exquisite creature in whose lap he was currently resting was his mother. He thought on her question for a moment, always wanting to be truthful with her. "No. Of course not mother. Knowing you has been one of the most wonderful things to ever happen to me. It's just…I guess I was not quite ready to be here yet. I feel as if I abandoned someone who has already spent so much time alone."

"Patience son. He'll be here with you soon. Is that not enough."

Yami sighed and turned back to the pool, "It will have to be." A tear escaped his eye.

Isis stared at her son, a peaceful and resigned smile on her face. She wanted so bad to protect him. Already, so much has been asked of him. To send him back to the world now would only led to more pain but in her heart she knew. He would want the choice. She also knew what that choice would be. Leaning over her son, she placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head before running her own finger over the surface of the water.

"I warned you son, that looking into the pool of all-seeing would only cause you pain." Yami turned to face his mother with questions in his expression. Gently she grabbed his chin and directed his gaze back to the pool. "Look."

Yami stared at the image of a building, the outside of Kaiba Corp. headquarters, and gasped. Above the building hung a dark transparent plane of smoke, which seemed to buckle and warp in waves as nightmarish creatures tore at the surface with tooth and claw. "No. This can't be." Yami shook his head in denial."

"Do not deny what is in front of your face son. The barrier between the mortal world and the shadow world is thinning and the source of that thinning is somewhere in that building. Time in the mortal world is short. Soon, the weakened barrier will break and creatures of unimaginable power will flood into the mortal world. The matter is out of our hands for mortal creatures have long since ceased to believe in us." Isis allowed her son to roll off her lap and lean over the pool. Patiently she waited for the question she knew would come next.

"You cannot be insinuating that Kaiba has anything to do with this. You know as well as anybody that he does not even believe in the other world much less tamper in its affairs." Yami yelled at his mother for the first time.

His mother regally raised herself to her feet, "Calm yourself my son. Your demeanor is unbecoming of your station. I would never insinuate that your destined love was involved in this vile act. If anything, he is the target."

Yami's shame at his outburst was fleeting as his mind grasped onto the fact that his dragon was in danger. "I am sorry mother, but we must be able to do something. I have to help him. Tell me what is really going on and tell me how to stop it. Who is causing this."

Isis smiled at her son, both proud of his determination to help and sad at the implications of what may happen. "I am not entirely sure who is causing the problem. I know only this. Someone has found a way to again call monsters from the shadow realm into the mortal world and in doing so, they have damaged, knowingly or unknowingly, the protective barrier that separates those two worlds."

Yami looked around him frantically as if the answer might be floating somewhere in the air around him. "What about the pool of all-seeing. Can't we use that to find who is causing this problem?

Isis laughed softly, sadly "Son, you know as well as I do that the pool only shows you what you tell it to. We know not where to direct its gaze. Furthermore, we cannot use it to look into the past or future. We would have to catch the villain in the act. The likelihood that we would do that by accident is so small as to be negligible."

Yami fought to control himself. In his normal authoritative voice, he ordered, "Mother, tell me what I can do. There is something. I know there must be or you would not have shown this to me."

Isis casually reached over and slapped Yami lightly. Yami blushed and looked down. "Sorry again, mother. I did not mean to take that tone with you." Adjusting to a more pleading tone, "Please mother, tell me."

Isis pursed her lips. "So be it." Shaking her head she turned her back on her son and continued talking. "There may be one person who knows who is doing this. Do not get your hopes up though. I do not think he remembers what he knows. He is a damaged soul that had long since locked his most hurtful memories away. He visits them only in his nightmares and even then he blocks himself from reliving the worst moments. To find out what you need to know you must secure this individual's assistance. You must dig through his memories for clues. Only then can you find who is causing this damage, how and why."

Yami stared at his mother confused, "How am I to do that? I cannot even return to the mortal world much less meander through someone's mind."

Isis turned back around, her face grave. "The only way I know of is to give you a body."

Yami blinked, "But I was told that once I made my choice I would not be able to have a mortal body."

Stepping forward and placing her arm on her son's shoulder, "That is true. You cannot have a mortal body. Your body would not be constructed from materials in the mortal world. The body I will give you will be made of the shadow world, its essence and form will be subject to the rules of shadow magic."

Yami gasped. "Mother…"

"That is not all that you must consider son. For you to go to the mortal world in such a body, your soul would have to be tied to a mortal's. More specifically, it would be tied to the mortal you need to protect. The same mortal whose memories you must invade."

Realization dawned on Yami as he fell slowly to his knees, "I would have to be tied to Seto Kaiba, right." He is the one I must protect. He is the one I must hurt by rifling through long-buried memories.

Isis nodded. "Consider carefully. Your duty once you go to the mortal world is to stop this disaster that threatens all life in that realm. You must cease the disturbance that is weakening the barrier. Once that disturbance is gone, the barrier will strengthen." Isis saw determination gathering in her son's stance as he rose to his feet and her heart sank. She forced herself to continue. "Remember son, all things have a price and this time on earth is no different. Your body will be a shadow body. It will exist in the mortal world only as long as the barrier is weak enough to allow wisps of shadow magic to leak into the real world. Once the barrier is strong again, you must either forfeit your new body or go reside in the shadow realm. Once the barrier is strong, even with your tie to a host, your time in the mortal world as a shadow monster is limited to the amount of shadow magic you can store in your body."

Yami nodded his understanding, "How long mother. How long do I have until the barrier breaks forever."

The tears now streaking down Isis's face in no way disturbed the enchanting cadence of her voice or the perfection of her countenance, "You have decided for sure than. You are going."

Yami stepped into his mother's arms and embraced her, "I am sorry for your sorrow mother but I have to go. Please forgive me. I will return to you. I promise."

Isis returned the embrace and then stepped away, "As you say son, you must do. One more word of warning. If you fail to prevent the breaking of the barrier, you will lose yourself forever. The shadow magic will overwhelm your soul and you will truly become a monster. Do not fail. You have at most one month."

Yami shuddered, "Only one month…Fine. I will make one month enough time."

Reaching into a slit in her gown, Isis removed a hidden pouch. "Here, these will help you. The means into your lovers mind as well as the means to yours and his protection are in there. Keep them well. They are all the help I can give you on this journey."

Yami took the pouch and tied it around his wiast.

Isis raised her hand one last time to her son's face, caressing his check in a fond farewell, "Now go. Stand under the waterfall and close your eyes."

Yami obeyed. His vision only slightly obscured by the water pouring over his head and down his body, Yami watched his mother one last time as she raised her hands over her head. He closed his eyes.

Carefully, Isis called out to the shadow realm. Smoky shadows billowed out of the obsidian that partially formed the cliff, the magic's form buckling and distorting around the clear quartz as if to avoid contact with the lighter element. Slowly, it moved to coalesce around the spirit standing under the fall of water, hiding the figure from the teary eyes of the woman on the shore. The water flowing over the spirit turned black, soaking into the figure it covered as if it was filling an open container. The blackness disappeared from site.

Yami almost opened his eyes as he fell backwards, air rushing by his face. Abruptly, he stopped. He started to shudder uncontrollably as the magic continued to roll around him. The lids of his eyes flew open and he looked around. He was in his tomb. Looking down at himself, he was appalled. His body was an inky black, a bit of formless nothingness. He was about to panic when he noticed that he was not lying on an even surface. He was actually lying in his open sarcophagus, on top of his own deceased body. Ewwwww. He was about to jump up when the room became alive with fire. The torches on the wall were alight and his corpse burst into flames. As his body burned, the ashes floated into the air only to settle on different parts of his nothingness. Yami lay still, eyes wide open, until his corpse was nothing but ash covering his shadow body. Finally, the stillness was broken as a bright light blinded him. Blinking spots out of his eyes, Yami looked down at himself again and breathed deep in relief. Although his body was not quite as he remembered it, it was still a 'human' body. His skin was still tanned and pliant, but he seemed to be a bit longer in the leg, a little broader across the chest. He must be about 22 or 23. Carefully he stood, stumbled a bit, then set about practicing walking.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: SetoxYami

Genre: Action, Romance, Angst

Spoilers: None of which I am aware.

Warning: Cussing.

Disclaimer: Me no own...TT (Snuggles Seto plushie

"That's the biggest load of unmitigated crap I have ever heard." Seto angrily crossed his arms over his chest, fists clenched.

Bakura wrapped one arm around his waist, bent over and slapped his knee. Voice choked with spiteful laughter, he said to no one in particular "Call the press. We have a new god of denial. The guy gets chased around a ransacked building by nightmare beasts and still, he does not believe in the supernatural." Straightening up, he ignored the warning flashing across the Seto's face, "So tell us Kaiba. What do you think is happening? Science project gone wrong? Canines'R US is testing out a new brand of puppy chow guaranteed to make your pooch grow big as a house and as homicidal as Jeffery Daumer." Gasping, "Grief! I haven't laughed this much since I hung all Mai's underwear outside of Joey's window."

Joey jumped, waving his arms manically, "That was you! You little punk! I had to listen to 'You wear women's underwear' jokes for a month. Not to mention the beating Mai gave me for that little incident."

Needless to say Joey's outburst only managed to increase the volume of Bakura's laughter.

"Calm down Joey. We need to talk about more important things." Yugi raised his voice enough to be heard over the commotion while restraining Joey from lunging over Kaiba to strangle Bakura."

"What's more important than hearing that Joey got his ass whooped by a woman." Bakura taunted.

"Shut up Bakura. You're not helping." Yami glared at the other ex-spirit. "We need to focus on the matter at hand." Striking an authoritative pose, Yami faced Seto, "You have to listen. I know listening to me is not a habit of yours and I know that this is all hard to believe but for once, we cannot afford to sit on our haunches while you dig in your heels. This is bigger than you, me or your bloody company. I have to look into your thoughts while your sleeping. It's the only way to find who is behind all the turmoil lately. You'll just have to trust me."

Seto stared at him in disbelief, before biting off clear and yet hot words of denial, "You're right. There is a lot a stake, for starters, my sanity. As if I would trust anyone that I have not even seen for two years. You say that you're my monster. Well fine! I hereby order you to cut the crap, monster.'" Seto's short, abrupt movements betrayed his agitation, "Shut up about the shadow realm, shut up about your heritage, and most of all, shut up about getting into my head because it's not going to happen." In a violent movement Seto picked up some of the talismans laying on his bed and hurled them at Yami, "Furthermore, I can't believe you have the nerve to say I need your protection. If anything, you need my protection. If I remember correctly, it's you that needed the protecting, hence, my current situation. Don't expect me to help you any further. You can just go hang yourself you delusional…Wheeler wannbe." Seto gestured wildly at the clothes Yami was wearing.

As always, Yami could not leave Seto's challenge unanswered. Pointing an accusing finger at Seto he declared, "Don't you dare place all the blame for your injuries on me! If you didn't rush head first, _alone_, into every dangerous situation, you never would have been in trouble in the first place. Anyway, it's hardly my fault if your state of dress… or should I say your state of undress, distracted me."

Seto's face turned beat red and Bakura's ears perked up, "Did I hear state of undress? Do tell."

Seto turned to face Bakura for a moment and yelled, "Shut up!"

Bakura smirked, "Ooooo. Snappy comeback company man. I don't know if I can accommodate you. I feel in need of a little," he released an evil, insinuating chuckle, "distraction."

"One more word, monkey." All Seto got for his threat was a mockingly exaggerated shudder from Bakura. Turning to Yami, his voice dripping with passionate anger, "And you," the word 'you' became a cuss word as it exited Seto's mouth, "you have no right to say anything about my state of dress. You're state of dress deserved an adult rating."

Indignant, Yami questioned, "Are you insinuating that I was naked?"

"Insinuating nothing! You were buck naked." Seto threw back.

Yami's voice started to escalate with his own anger, "If I recall correctly, it wasn't me who was bucking Kaiba."

Both parties were distracted when a loud, incredulous voice echoed through the room, "My god! Ya'll were doing it in front of the dogs!"

The sound of something hitting the floor echoed in from the hallway, even over Bakura's riotous laughter. Seto leveled a deadly glare at the foolish teen as he stated in a clear voice, "I assure you Wheeler, your hopes are too high. I would never, how did you say it…do it in front of the dogs."

Seto fought with himself until he was calm and all the color had drained back out of his face. "None of this is important. You have nothing important to tell me so I have no time for you. The truth is, someone is after my company… _yet again…_ and I don't need the help of you fools to deal with that. I especially don't need any of you in my head and that's final."

Yami uncrossed his own arms and barely restrained himself from stomping his foot. "You stubborn idiot. Why must everything be a battle with you."

"Because everything is a battle for me Yami." Seto's voice began to raise dramatically, "My life, my company, my abandoned hobby, everything. I don't know anything that doesn't have to do with battle. Even you. You were a battle for me Yami…One that I lost. Unluckily for you, some time since you left, I learned to leave all hopeless battles behind me. I've had no other choice."

The room was silent, even Bakura and Joey settled down at that statement.

Eventually, Mokuba, unable to bear the silence, piped in, "Seto…?"

A deceptive calm settled over Seto, "Yes Mokuba."

"I brought Dr. Lowe." Mokuba presented his words like a gift, eager to please, "I knew you wouldn't want to stay in Egypt even longer than you needed to. The plane has also been equipped with everything they might need to help you on our journey home. We can leave whenever the doctors release you."

"Thank you Mokuba. You did good. Could you see to it that the plane is ready to take off by tonight. I'll arrange to be out of here by then." Seto looked over at the others in the room. Sweeping his finger around to encompass everyone but Bakura and Mokuba, "You three will be booked on a commercial flight. I won't be forced to deal with you on the way home."

"But Setoo…" Mokuba whinned.

In a firm but gentle voice, Seto stated, "No buts Mokuba. Between me, the equipment, the doctor, Bakura and yourself, the jet will already be crowded."

Everyone looked over at Yami in amazement when he stated unequivocally, "You are not going anywhere without me." Seto recognized the tone from the days when Yami and him dueled. The diehard conviction came through loud and clear. Briefly, Seto felt the sparks of instinctual rebellion before sheer exhaustion collapsed on his shoulders like a tone of bricks. "Fine. Yami may also join us on the jet but that is all. Make other arrangements for Joey and Yugi."

"Hey! Wait a minute man…"

Seto broke in, "Shut up Wheeler. I know you've watched over my brother. Kaiba Corp. will cover the cost of your tickets. I'll even let you fly first class."

Joey's face lite up. "Really man. That's so cool."

Kaiba grumbled under his breath, "Enjoy it mutt. Its likely to be the only time they ever let you sit anywhere other than the cargo hold."

"Hey! Your lucky your sick or I would kick your butt for that."

"Keep dreaming, Wheeler."

"Come on guys." Mokuba jumped off Seto's sick bed and grabbed Yugi and Joey's hands. "Lets spend big brothers money on something really cool."

Seto huffed as Mokuba dragged the two boys out of the room.

Silence again descended on the room until the door closed behind the three departing boys.

Slowly, Yami walked across the room to take hold of a curtain hanging on the right side of Seto's bed. "There is one other thing that we have to talk about before we leave Egypt."

Seto snorted, "I have nothing more to say to you."

Unperturbed by Seto's uninviting demeanor, Yami stated in a polite, questioning tone, "Oh? Then you have nothing to say about this?" Abruptly Yami pulled back the curtain revealing another occupied bed.

Glancing over, Seto leapt out of his bed with such speed that his legs got tangled in the sheets causing him to crash into Bakura.

Bakura was barely able to keep himself and Kaiba from crashing to the ground, "God's priest, I know I'm irresistible but try to control yourself."

Seto reached blindly for any weapon that might be close by. Grabbing the phone sitting on his bedside table he lifted it above his head as if he was preparing to strike at any moment, "Either I'm crazy for seeing this or your crazy for bringing him here but know this…someone in this room other than just him" Seto jerked the fingers of his free hand towards Bakura, "is crazy. You have exactly five seconds to tell me what the HELL that psychotic freak is doing here before I take this out of your hide."

"Calm down Seto. I don't think this child is evil." Yami made soothing motions with his hands.

"WHAT!" Seto slammed the phone back down on the table, "That proves it! You are the crazy one. I never before thought you were stupid but now…"

"I understand your concern but I assure you, as he is now, he is no danger to you. You want to know who is harming your company right? What better way than to question the only living person you've meet that might be able to answer some of your questions." Yami shook his head, "This child is almost soulless now. Look at him. He has been someone else's victim. We need to find out who is pulling his strings."

Seto started to pace, stumbled and had to grab the edge of the nightstand. Casually, he swiped at the sweat beading on his forehead. It was hard to think of that child as a victim. Seto could still hear the word 'Destroy,' the same word that landed him in the hospital. Nevertheless, he was the only person he had meet so far that had a connection to the weapons factory he was inspecting. "Fine. Have it your way. Well fly him to Japan for questioning but he is not flying in my jet. As it is I'll have to pull massive strings to get him out of the country in his condition." Seto placed his other hand on the table and leaned over panting. Even this small bit of exercise seemed to exhaust him, a weakness that he couldn't afford. He had to get back to the helm of his company. Things were too insecure at the moment for him to be gone long. "Damn," he slammed his fist down on the table, "I can't stand being this weak."

Yami moved to help Seto, but stopped when his advance drew a glare, "You need to rest."

Seto leveled a superior gaze at Yami, "If you think I am going to stay a moment more in the same room with that… thing you better think again."

Yami smiled secretively, "Really? You may want to look behind you."

Seto craned his neck around only to see Bakura, standing with an opportunistic expression dominating his face and posture, a disposable camera clutched in his hands. Immediately, Seto became aware of the gapping back of his gown and his own compromising, bent over, posture.

Bakura's smile widened until it was almost a grin, "Well, well, well. How much do you think you'll pay to keep…how shall I say this…Kaiba Corps. 'private assets' off the internet?"

Yami walked calmly past Kaiba's flabbergasted and now seated form on the way to the door. He winced in sympathy. Kaiba's butt was going to stick to that plastic chair. "I'll snag some of the lawyers lurking in the hallway. That way you can clear up the necessary legalities and finish our travel arrangements."

"If everyone could please take their seats and securely fasten their seatbelts, we are about to proceed to the runway. It is now 3:00pm and we should be arriving at our destination in…."

Kaiba took the seat next to Bakura and leaned back, only wincing slightly at the friction between his back and the seat. Mokuba was busy showing Yami the cockpit. Since they had yet to return, Kaiba assumed that they were going to stay there during take off. The doctor was seated further down the jet; examining the medical charts he received moments before, when his patient had arrived seemingly spontaneously at the airport. This was likely the only chance for private discussion with his head of security he would have for a while. Fastening his seat belt, he directed his conversation at Bakura, "I assume that your visit means you've found something."

With his usual charm, Bakura replied, "Of course I've found something. Its not difficult to find people that want to kill you Kaiba. My only difficulty is figuring out which ones had the balls to try it."

Kaiba snorted, "Well what are you waiting for. Report your findings now."

Bakura glanced over at the figure next to him. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of admiration at what he saw. Despite the pain Kaiba must be feeling, his face and body were as icy and emotionless as ever. None of that admiration was reflected in his voice, however, when he sneered, "I'm happy to see you've returned to your usual frozen self."

Impatiently, Seto snapped, "What are you talking about. I don't have the time or inclination to deal with your nonsense."

"Don't rush me, priest. Some things are meant to be savored, the recounting of all the people that hate you being one of them. Anyway, this is not a short flight. We have all the time in the world." Bakura ignored Kaiba's frigid expression. Working with him for two years had taught him how to ignore his eternally dark moods. "Can I ask you a personal question."

"No."

"Great! I will then." Bakura, being who he was, could not help but throw Kaiba's orders back in his face occasionally. It was a compulsion. Really. Unfortunately, this time Bakura felt himself assaulted by good intentions, a situation with which he was neither accustomed nor comfortable. As such he rushed his next words. "Now, don't get me wrong. We're not friends. I hate you, you hate me and that works for us but I am wondering something." Bakura looked out of the window at the passing scenery to avoid both Kaiba's gaze and his own discomfort, "What I want to know is, what happens to your legendary cool when you talk to Yami. I mean, its not the fact that your angry with him. That's funny. And lets face the facts, you're angry with practically everyone. The problem is that your anger with him is…you know…hot. I've never seen anyone else affect your cool like he does. You can't be distracted like that with all the shit that's going down."

Kaiba glared dangerously at his errant employee, "Don't you think I know that. Do what you do best and mind your own business. Butting into mine is not part of your job."

Falling back into character, Bakura snapped, "Dammit Kaiba, that stick up your ass cannot be comfortable. It's not like I care about you or anything. It's you that made me head of security."

"Keep your voice down you idiot. As my employee, your job is to do as your told. Now tell me what you've found out or I am moving you out of the widow's house and into the dog house." The precise, clipped quality of Kaiba's words told Bakura that he had crossed a line. As such, he abandoned his ill attempt at helping his employer…see if he ever did anything that stupid again…and returned to the business at hand.

"Fine. You and Yami can continue to act as idiots. As far as the assassination attempts, with which attempt would you like me to begin."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about. What have you found."

Bakura's voice dripped with sarcasm, "You're an even more popular guy than I had anticipated." With a sinister eagerness he continued, "A Gorilla group that operates out of South Africa orchestrated the shooting. Why they want you dead, I don't know yet. What I do know is that they recently became the 'big dogs' in the constant fighting going on down there. Apparently they've gotten a hold of some really impressive weaponry recently and everyone is too afraid to go against them. I was able to trace a payment that moved from one of their cover organizations to someone in Kaiba Corp. but I cannot pinpoint who received that inflow yet. Also, I can't pin point where the rest of the money went, Kaiba Corp. only received about half of the whole money shipment. Here's where things get interesting. That information you found, the stuff on the plant from hell you just visited." Bakura let a tense silence draw out.

Kaiba fed up with the dramatics broke in and prompted, "Get on with it."

Bakura barked, "I am, I am. You know some people would show a little appreciation. This is not easy information to get a hold of."

"Really. Well that must be why I pay you so damn much money. Now hurry up." Kaiba's foot began to tap in annoyance.

"Geez." Bakura huffed, "That information was fed to you and it wasn't fed to you by just anyone. It was fed to you by an organization know as Expire."

Kaiba's brow wrinkled in thought, "Expire? Who the hell is Expire?"

Bakura scoffed in amazement, "I can't believe that you've lived in that cut throat world of yours for so long and you don't know who Expire is. Expire is an 'organization' that hires its services out at a high price. They only take on high profile cases, like yours, and their work is creative, permanent, and practically impossible to trace back to them much less their clients. You give them a high profile name and at least $100 mil., and they make sure that the person expires before the end of the week." Bakura continued on in an almost reverent, excited voice, "And here's the best part. Expire only hires its services out to other organizations. Hell, it could have been other Kaiba Corp. executives that hired these guys or it could be the executives in this mystery company that received the rest of the payment sent by the Gorilla group. Again, I don't know."

Ticking off a checklist of enemies in his head, Kaiba questioned, "Have you checked into Pegasus?"

Slightly insulted, Bakura responded, "Of course. Who do think I am. Pegasus may want your company but he hasn't made any move to kill you in ages. Anyway, I could find no connections between Pegasus and weapons. None whatsoever. He just doesn't fit the profile of our current prey."

Kaiba thought for a few moments more before snapping, "That's not enough to work with Bakura. Keep looking," He turned to face forward in his seat.

Bakura ground his teeth together as he turned back to face the window. Sometimes he wondered if getting the body was really worth working for this jerk.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Me, Fairyfae

Pairings: SetoxYami

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: Minor gore, cussing, and violence

Spoilers: I unfortunately have not been able to get a hold of the whole series. What I know, I know from ya'll.

Disclaimer: Geez. Wish I did but I don't. Way to make a girl cry.

Chapter 7:

A raging cover of black and gray obscured the sky making the world look like a black and white made-for-T.V. movie…one with bad reception. Rain pounded the roof of the limousine with enough force to eliminate the possibility of casual conversation, not that there would have been any if the afternoon had been peaceful. Kaiba's mood was dark, so dark that the worst storm to hit Japan in five years seemed pleasant in comparison.

"Damn! Nothing." he slammed shut his laptop and threw it onto the seat next to him, startling the figure seated across from him and by the window. He had been searching relentlessly since they had gotten off the plane and; still, he could not find the end of the money trail leading into his company, _his own goddamn company_. He was already frustrated by the necessary delays he had encountered once arriving and this lack of success did not improve his mood.

Once in the air, Yami had joined Bakura and himself in the back of the jet. Then the arguing had commenced. They argued about that damned fairytale Yami weaved about needing to get in his head, they argued about Yami's need to protect him, they had even argued about fashion, the weather and other completely irrelevant subjects. For eight hours straight they did nothing but argue. In the end, nothing had been resolved. As a result, when they arrived at the airport, he still had no way to shake Yami's company. The damned nuisance stuck like a leech. Part of Seto felt happy about Yami's persistence while the other half was furious with himself for being happy. He was not dependent on anyone. He was used to being alone, one of the most powerful, independent men in the world. He did not need or _want to need_, the other's company. Seto sighed quietly. He just couldn't help himself. Even after two years of being alone, he still felt excited and oddly comforted by the other's presence, the presence of the only man who had ever successfully humbled him since reaching his majority. Seto sat and wondered, where the hell he had gone wrong.

"I won't say that I told you so, but I did," the figure across from him uttered without turning to face him. Seto studied Yami. He was looking out the window, studying the rain as if he had never seen a thunder storm before, arms and legs crossed. One of the delays had been a trip to get his new 'private bodyguard;' appropriate attire. If Yami was going to follow him everywhere, he damn well wasn't going to do it dressed as a bum. At the moment, Yami was dressed in a red silk shirt, a snug black vest molding to the contours of his, oddly, well-developed chest. Seto had always thought that Yami's figure was somewhat feminine until he helped him in the dressing room earlier, an incident that he was NOT going to think about again in detail. His thin physique was deceptive, hiding firm, defined abs and strong, wiry shoulders. His pants were tailored black slacks, similar to the ones that Kaiba sported in charcoal grey. His own shirt was also new, a blue silk button-up. Instead of a vest, however, Seto wore a closed blazer and his customary trench coat. Seto liked to wear layers; they made him feel less exposed. With as many enemies as he obviously had, exposure was bad.

"Shut up Yami. As if I want to hear anymore of your ignorant opinions." Seto snapped, his frustration increasing the tension that already permeated the car. He spared scant notice for Bakura when the wise-ass turned around in the front passenger seat and said, "You know I enjoy your bickering as much as anyone else's, but I thought you should know, before you start up yet again, I have a tape recorder and I'm not afraid to use it."

"Don't start with me Bakura or I'll shove that 'tape recorder' down your throat and see if that shuts you up for a while. Just turn around in your seat and tell the driver to drive up to the front door." Seto growled.

"I still don't think this is a good idea. If you absolutely have to go in today despite your half-dead appearance, you should use your private entrance to the building. No point in making yourself a target." Bakura grumbled, "If you never listen to my advice, why did you even hire me."

"I hired you, as you so inaptly put it, in a moment of temporary insanity. A moment for which I am still paying." Seto turned to stare out at the rain, his arms crossing over his chest in an unconscious imitation of the figure across from him, "I am not cowering in my own place of business. I am not some thief that needs to slink in the back door. I am in control and the sooner that everyone remembers that, the better."

"I agree." Yami stated in a firm voice, turning to face Kaiba, "Cowering is not your style."

Seto's anger increased at the rush of warmth he felt at Yami's support, causing him to lash out blindly, "Don't speak as if you know me. You don't know a damn thing about me."

Yami sighed and turned back to the window. In a voice only slightly tinged with jealousy, "No wonder you and Bakura get along so well. You are two of a kind." Words slightly bitter, "Its amazing how two years is long enough for me to forget what a bastard you can be."

Seto drew in a sharp breath and fought to hide the small flash of hurt that dashed across his face. Bakura caught and, for once, kept his mouth shut.

"We're here." Bakura's utterance caused Seto to automatically shift into professional mode. He turned to the door just as it was opened from the outside.

"Welcome back, Sir," the doorman greeted while holding a large black umbrella over the car's entrance. Seto stepped briskly out of the car and moved towards the revolving doors at the front of his headquarters, not once looking back to see the others as they moved with predatory grace out of the vehicle. Seto entered the building and paused as Bakura moved to frame him on his right, Yami on his left.

The inside of the building also had changed as if to reflect its owner's mood. The monitors surrounding the ceiling were imageless, blank sentinels guarding the room, reception blocked by the rampant storm outside. To his left, behind Yami, the image of a Dark Magician seemed to waver, shadows gathering around a pointed staff. To his right, behind Bakura, the mural of Just Deserts loomed, a menacing presence. A glowing image of the Blue Eyes, Ultimate Dragon flew across the building's floor, the majestic beast's countenance cast by the flash of lightning through the stain glass window in the ceiling. Even the normal hustle and bustle of busy executives seemed hushed to a creeping shuffle of feet across marble, words few, and whispered. Impatiently, Seto watched as a short, efficient looking woman bustled up to his side.

"Mrs. Sang." Seto greeted the woman briefly before continuing to walk across the lobby towards the public elevators, his trench coat flapping behind him, "Report."

"Yes Mr. Kaiba." The woman opened and examined one of the folders in her arms while walking along side her boss. "All the repairs you've ordered are completed. The contract sealing the merger with Aim's Corporation is awaiting your signature. We are also almost completed with the Alco and Sons takeover. Mr. Wang called with a with questions concerning the launching of the new gaming system and the bug we detected last week in the Fairway consol has been cleared up. Also, Mr. Shokun is currently in Conference Room Three awaiting your pleasure."

Seto nodded his head once. At least he had one organized…he looked at Bakura… and sane employee. Looking back at Mrs. Sang, "Very good. Hold my calls for the time being. I'll inform you when I finish my meeting with Mr. Shokun." Having arrived at the elevator, he was about to dismiss her when he heard someone on his left clear his throat, looking back he saw Yami, eyebrow raised. Sighing deeply, he turned back to his secretary, "This is Mr. Yami." he paused for a moment. Yugi's last name was too well known. He had to think of something else. A smile crept along his face, "This is Mr. Yami Noballz. He's my new personal bodyguard. He will be joining me in all my subsequent activities for the time being. You are to treat him appropriately. Thank you, that is all." As Seto walked onto the elevator, he could hear Bakura's low, evil chuckle and he could feel Yami's glare. Smirking, Seto turned to Yami, "What's wrong? You always said you were a noble."

Seto swept into the conference room followed closely by his two colorful, and currently cussing, shadows. Yami at least was cussing, under his breath; he hadn't stopped since they had gotten onto the elevator. Seto was actually kind of impressed although there was no way he could do some of the things Yami was suggesting he once had. They were simply anatomically impossible, even for a genius like himself. Tuning him out, Seto leveled a glare at the only other person in the room, a trembling, and foolishly seated, Mr. Shokun. At Seto's look, the security guard shot to his feet, his new position making his trembling even more evident.

"Mr. Kaiba, Sir." The guard managed to garble out, "I have your reports." He shoved a folder towards Kaiba.

Kaiba paced slowly to the far side of the table, dragging the folder along its surface until he reached the long, rectangle-shaped table's head. Seating himself, he gestured for Yami and Bakura to do likewise. For the time being, they had both promised to remain passive and let him handle things. This, after all, was his company. Letting the guard stew in his nervousness, Kaiba carefully reviewed the contents of the folder, his eyes becoming narrower by the moment. Shutting the folder, he focused his gaze on the guard, "Mr. Shokun, is there anything in this folder that the police could not have told me."

Mr. Shokun stared religiously at the table's surface. The poor man looked almost as if he was about to pee his pants. "No sir." The soft whistle of air made the nervous guard look to the side where Bakura was periodically throwing and catching a knife. The guard gulped. "Please Sir, I tried everything I could..."

Seto abruptly cut the guard's teary protest off, "It wasn't enough. You're fired. Now get out of my sight."

The guard stumbled out of the room, almost grateful to have lost his job. Seto fumed, only slightly registering Bakura's voice in the background of his thoughts, "Now I remember why I like working for you."

Seto huffed inwardly, why were his only competent employees sadistic bastards. Maybe his employment checks should start requiring that employees _have_ a criminal background. Its not like hiring people who didn't have a criminal background had stopped him from being surrounded by people who wanted to stab him in the back.

"You've still found nothing I see." Yami's patient and annoyingly knowing voice cut through his brooding.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Kaiba stood up abruptly causing his chair to fly back and hit the wall as he stormed out of the room. He had resources everywhere. He would find these bastards without any hocus-pocus even if he had to go out and comb the streets himself.

Walking quickly, his long-strides eating up the distance between the conference room and his office, Seto quickly out-paced Yami and Bakura.

"Seto! Wait!" Yami's shout went unheeded. Stopping only briefly in front of his secretary's desk, he snapped, "Keep them away from me."

"Mr. Kaiba," Mrs. Sang's voice followed him to his door, "Your little brother has come for a visit. He's in your office right now."

"Damn." Seto cussed before leaning both hands against the closed double doors to his office. He would have to calm down. Taking a deep breath, he straightened and proceeded to open the doors, walking blindly into yet another nightmare.

In his office stood another child, this one a petite red-head girl, her eyes as blank as the boy's had been in Egypt. She stood to the right of his desk, by his white mole-skin couch, the words "Kill Kaiba" a steady litany on her lips. The nightmare, however, was to the right to her. The scales of a giant sickly, green serpent glistened in the light cast by the desk lamp, the only light in the room. Outside the windows, the false nighttime created by the storm was banished by the flash of lightening revealing the full horror of the current situation. In that brief second, Seto saw that the serpent, draped partially across his desk, was wrapped tightly around his unconscious brother. What the darkness had disguised as a black pool at the base of the desk, was nothing other than his brothers blood, blood that was oozing out of a nasty shoulder wound.

"Mokuba." Seto's face twisted in pain as he moved to launch himself across the room only to be stopped by an iron grip on his arm. Seto turned abruptly and struck out at the person restraining him, smacking Yami solidly across the face.

Unperturbed, Yami grasped Seto's other arm and shook him hard. "Wake up Seto. You can't defeat that monster by attacking straight on. Use your strength. Analyze the situation and come up with a solution. I know you can do it. We will work together to save your brother."

Seto's mind kicked back into gear. He felt himself become detached, almost as if the emotional part of himself, the part of himself that loved his brother more than anything, had moved out of his body to watch the scene from elsewhere. Yes. He had to think.

Seto turned back and analyzed. He knew from Egypt that the child had some kind of control over the monster. To stop the monster, he had to stop the child. It was also likely that the monster would move to defend the child. The little girl seemed to be obsessed with killing Kaiba and she was in his office. It was a distinct possibility that the Kaiba she wanted to kill was him and his brother had just stumbled onto the situation. "Yami, can you attack with any of your talismans."

Yami let go of his arm, and went into what Kaiba remembered as his dueling mode. "I can attack but at that moment, the monster is in a defensive position. I will not be able to do a lot of damage."

"But if the monster went into an attack, could you take it out." Kaiba studied Yami hard. He was about to put his life, and that of his little brothers, in Yami's hands.

"That would work, but…"

Without further notice Kaiba launched himself at the child, "If you want to kill a Kaiba, try taking me on."

"Damn it Kaiba, Celtic Guardian Appear." Yami yelled as the snake uncoiled from around Mokuba, its head striking out towards Kaiba. Kaiba just missed being struck by the snake's dripping fangs as he jumped behind the couch, the secretary's chair hurling by him to strike the side of the animal's head. The snake's saliva instead fell on his couch, burning holes into the upholstery. He scrambled, close to the ground; back out from behind the couch and towards the girl. In front of him he saw the tall figure of an…elf. Damn! The elf cleaved the snake in two. Both halves writhed until they seemed to dissolve. In the background, he heard Yami mutter thanks to someone before he uttered the word disappear.

Taking no chances, Kaiba stood, strode over to the girl, and knocked her out with one punch before rushing to Mokuba's side. In the background he heard Bakura mutter, "Damn, He just sucker punched a girl. Gods, I love my job. Gratuitous violence and a good floor show."

He felt Yami kneel down next to him. "How is he?" Suddenly, Seto felt overwhelmed as his emotions settled back down around his shoulders.

"I don't know. I can't tell. Shit, he's bleeding so much." Seto's words poured out of him as he tried to stem the bleeding, some slime burbling out of the wound to coat and burn his hands. "You said the boy wasn't evil. Well what about that girl! Are you going to tell me that girl wasn't evil, that she was some kind of victim! Are you going to tell me that this whole damn situation isn't fucked up?" Seto yelled, his voice as venomous as the poison on his hands.

"Mr. Kaiba," the, for once, timid voice of his secretary carried into the room, shock evident in the tone.

"What are you standing there for, call an ambulance."

She turned to obey the order when Yami snapped, "No," the authority in his tone causing her to abort her movement.

Seto turned blazing blue eyes on him. Yami was almost stunned by the hatred he could feel emanating from those icy orbs. "Who the hell do you think you are? Never order my employees around. There mine! Do you hear me! Mine! And what the fuck do you mean 'No!' Do you want my brother to die!

"Kaiba…"the name escaped from Yami's lips on a breath.

"Don't be a fool Kaiba. Human hospitals can't help him." Bakura's scorn was hard enough to bite. "Will you let your pride take that boy away from you?"

For the first time, Yami felt gratitude towards the thief. Maybe his time with Kaiba had helped him to grow the semblance of a heart. Maybe everyone had been changing into someone else while he had been gone.

Seto closed his eyes, Pain evident in every line in his body. "No." He looked at Yami. "Can you help him?"

Yami knew what it cost Seto to swallow his pride. His heart swelled at witnessing the depth of Seto's devotion. "Of course. Mokuba is my friend. I will do whatever is necessary to help him but you must trust me." Yami took out another one of his talismans and prayed to the gods that the poison had not progressed far enough to kill the boy in front of him.

In a resigned tone, "Alright. Tell me what to do."

"Why isn't he awake yet? You treated him two hours ago!" Seto snapped while pacing back and forth along the left side of Mokuba's sickbed, the clicking of his heals a dull accent to the beeping of the life support systems, a sound that stood in discord with the otherwise cheerful surroundings of Mokuba's own room. Seto's agitation had only increased since that morning. Now, guilt also contributed to his anger. He could not believe that he lost control so much as to say such hateful things to Yami. If Yami did not hate him before, his rival was sure to hate him now. Now being the time that his brother's life depended on him having Yami's help.

Yami leaned against the bedpost opposite Seto, studying the disconcerted figure across from him. He lowered his head and modulated his voice in an attempt to not further aggravate the other room's occupant, his heart still aching from the harsh words thrown at him earlier. He tried not to take them personal. He knew what stress Kaiba had been under but…his hopes for his short time on earth had been so much higher. He did not know what had gone wrong. From what he had seen in the mirror, he knew that the other loved him…had loved him anyway. Now, he wasn't so sure anymore. But then again, it was his uncertainty that made him give up on the man across from him the first time. "Calm down, Seto. You know, nothing about this situation is easy."

Stopping abruptly, Seto whipped around, "What do you mean, not easy. If you can bring yourself back from the dead, how hard can it be to wake up my little brother!"

Yami reminded himself to hold his temper in check. He tried to force himself to hear the desperation and not the anger in the others words. After all, he, more than anyone else, was aware of exactly how much Seto loved his little brother. "Seto wasn't it you that said anything worthwhile is not easy to gain." Yami's tone rose, "Saving Mokuba is worthwhile so it not bloody easy!" So much for keeping his temper in check, Yami winced inwardly.

Seto told himself that the color in his cheeks was a sign that he was pissed off. In no way was it a sign that he was embarrassed at having been caught saying something so…he didn't know…sentimental, idealistic. "Yes. I said that but I never said it to you. How the hell did you hear that?" Despite himself, Seto was beginning to wind down, the day's events, his wounds, and exhaustion taking their toll.

Now it seemed to be Yami's turn to blush, "I already told you. I've been watching you."

For a second, Seto found himself stymied. There was that bloody feeling of exhilaration again. When would his heart learn that it wasn't supposed to jump in joy at signs that Yami had cared? He was not obsessed with his rival. His rival now hated him and he wasn't obsessed with anyone. CEO's do not get obsessed. As usual, Seto's discomfort manifested itself in the form of sarcasm. "While, I hope you at least had enough decency to look away while I was in the shower.

Yami's blush went from bashful to mortified as he flashed back to one scene he had watched when his mother had not been with him at the pool of all-seeing. Even now, he saw Seto, in the shower, arms braced against the wall in front of him, back arched into the warm stream of water, attempting to loosen muscles cramped from a long day at work. Droplets of water oozing down his pale, perfectly sculpted body in a suggestive display, mouth open in an approximation of ecstasy. One hand leaving the wall to trail down his chest and a whispered name escaping parted lips…Yami's attention was yanked back to the present by a strangled noise. He returned to focus on Seto's red face and the gaze that was directed at Yami's crotch. Yami awareness of his own…discomfort…increased and, regrettably, he redirected Seto's attention back to the subject at hand.

"Seto, the only way to save Mokuba is for you to cooperate with me. We have to find and stop whoever is tampering with the shadow realm. The poison traveling through your brother's body is unlike anything occurring naturally in this world. Although I have stopped it's progression, I cannot purge it's hold. As long as the barrier between the shadow realm and this one is weak, the monster's poison will stay in effect. When the barrier is gone, Mokuba will die. I have already been here a week. At best, we have only three weeks left to stop this disaster. You must let me see into your mind. It is the world's, and now your brother's, only chance."

Yami's heart ached as he witnessed the struggle going on in Seto's face. There is nothing he wants less than to force his beloved priest to revisit his worst nightmares, but for his and everyone else's good, they had to do this. This time, Yugi's help is not what he needed. He needed the indemonstrable strength of this man, his secret love, to defeat the monsters in both realms. No matter the pain, he cannot let these people destroy Seto and all for which he has worked.

Seto lowered himself gracefully onto Mokuba's bed. Taking his brother's hand in his own, spine straighter than any ruler ever thought of being, Seto stared straight ahead, "Fine. I will allow your damned spell. You can parade through my nightmares on one condition. I don't know what demons live in my head but, somehow, I know that I've done things, evil things, that are so dark, even my own mind refuses to accept them. You must promise me that no matter what you find, no matter how despicable you find me afterwards…you must promise me to see this through to the end. Save Mokuba." Seto raised defiant eyes to the seemly passive figure still leaning against the post at the side of the bed. "Can you promise me that at least?"

Yami did not dare to offer the compassion or platitudes that he would offer to any other person. No, his passion was made of stronger stuff. "Of course." Yami pushed off the post and began to walk to the door.

He was reaching for the doorknob when Seto's voice stopped him, "Meet me at nine o'clock sharp, in my room, two doors down from here. Don't be late."

Yami turned back to object to the tone of Seto's 'request' but Seto was not even looking his way. Instead, Seto's forehead was resting lightly against his brothers, his eyes obscured shadows his bangs cast. Yami turned and left the room without a sound.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: SetoxYami

Genre: Action, Romance, Angst

Spoilers: None of which I am aware.

Warning: Lemon, violence, minor gore (nothing big) and other stuff. I don't know. I just wrote the bloody thing.

Disclaimer: Me no own...TT (Snuggles Seto plushie)

Summary: Memories long since forgotten have reemerged to haunt Seto. The world is suffering random and unimaginable attacks. Seto suspects his company is involved in weapons dealing and a Pharaoh is brought back to life for a limited time to stop a supernatural disaster and to save his undeclared love

Yami paused at the dark, cherry wood door that marked the entrance into Kaiba'a most private domain. He took a moment to gather his strength; he knew he would need it for the coming ordeal. Nevertheless, he was confident. He had come prepared. Perfectly balanced on the fingertips of his right hand, he held a trey. On the trey sat two glasses of clear liquid, two sleeping pills, a mortar and pestle, and a standard, unopened deck of cards. Without any further ado, Yami knocked once, firmly, on the door and than entered without waiting for an answer; his feet sinking deeply into a lush, midnight blue carpet.

"Your late." Yami examined Kaiba's erect form, a form that practically vibrated with tension. Kaiba stood looking out of a floor length window, bathed in the moonlight that was the only source of illumination in the room, only his back currently visible from Yami's position at the door.

"Only by a few minutes." Yami stated, turning only to close the door before returning to his examination of his surroundings. The room's walls were two-tone, top and bottom separated by a white chair rail. In the dark, the top seemed to be the palest blue, almost white and the bottom seemed to be only shades lighter than the carpet. The ceiling soured a good twenty-five feet over his head, dominated by a huge canted skylight which revealed the moon, peaking out from behind intermittent clouds which were, even now, releasing a gentle spray of rain creating the gentle tinkling of water on glass, a song that drifted lazily through the room. Immediately to his right stood a hand-carved, oriental style wardrobe, in cherry wood, and beyond that, a self-standing oval mirror. That was funny; he would have never pegged Seto as someone who would have a self-standing mirror. Set slightly away from the wall was an oriental screen with pearl inlay, the design complex and captivating, truly beautiful to behold. On his left, the wall was dominated by a modern-looking three tier-desk, complete with every bit of hardware and software imaginable. Beside that stood an antique dresser, also in cherry wood. Hidden in the corner, there was a door, possibly to an adjourning restroom. The room's highlight, however was directly in front of him, framed on either side by floor-length double, rectangle bay windows and sitting on a raised dais stood a magnificent cannonball bed. The bed itself was at least double the size of a queen, the sheets and coverlet obviously custom made. The coverlet was a downy virgin white satin, the top and bottom hand embroidered with silver, navy, and baby blue thread, the sheets, a navy blue satin. Matching curtains, each tied back by navy blue satin cords, adorned the windows. At the foot of the bed was a chest of equally massive proportions and each side of the bed was equipped with its own nightstand. Decorative lamps graced both nightstands, and standing lamps were tastefully distributed throughout the room. The whole ensemble was unique, and enchanting.

"Are you quite finished." Kaiba's voice yanked Yami out of his revere, the reality of the situation a weight returning to his shoulders.

"Quite." Yami continued the rest of the way into the room to set his trey on a clear section of the desk. "I suppose we should get right down to business." Yami saw the impossible happen; the muscles in Seto's back became even tensor. He released a breath. He should not be surprised. He knew that Seto would not make this easy. The man still would not even look at him.

"Get on with it Yami. I don't have all night. I need to get at least some sleep. Some of us have day jobs you know." Seto's sarcasm cut through the room's peaceful atmosphere. "Tell me how we're going to do this damn thing."

"Relax Seto. I would not do anything to hurt you." The other turned to face him, disbelief clear in his expression. Yami sighed again. He had a strange feeling that he would be sighing a lot. "Fine. There are two ways for me to examine your thoughts, a hard way and an easy way. The hard way is for me to try to penetrate your mind while your awake. That, however, would be painful for you since I would have to fight my way around your waking defenses, defenses that we both know are not inconsiderable." Yami ignored the short, sharp growl that escaped the other, "The other way is for me to visit your dreams while you are sleeping. When you sleep, your defenses drop and I should be able to search with greater ease. This procedure, aside from whatever pain might be caused by what we find out, should be painless. Needless to say, I prefer the second option."

Yami watched the distaste cross Seto's face at the thought of anyone seeing him without his defenses. "Well I don't like the second option. If I have to have you in my head, I am going to be awake while your doing it. A little pain means nothing to me." His answer had not gone unanticipated by Yami. If anything, Kaiba's extreme need to be in control in all situations had always been present.

"I thought you would say that. That is why I propose we play a little game." Yami watched the battle Kaiba fought with himself. He did not want to show interest, but Kaiba, like himself, could never resist a challenge. The distrust was still there, however. So Yami began talking. "The game is quite simple, more a game of chance than anything although some strategy and probability is involved. I am sure your familiar with it." Yami reached over and picked up the unopened deck of cards. "It goes like this. Right here I have two glasses, a deck of cards and two sleeping pills." Yami picked up the sleeping pills with his other hand, holding them out where Kaiba could see them. Placing the cards back down on the table he placed the pill in the mortar and proceeded to crush them to dust. "Watch me while I put the powder in only one of the glasses." Yami then turned his back on Kaiba and moved the glasses around a bit." Turning back around he looked Kaiba in the face. "The glasses are identical and you can no longer tell which glass has the pills and which does not. Now, you open the deck and shuffle. You deal each of us two cards. You want to get as close to twenty-one without going over as you can. If it pleases you, you can ask the dealer, yourself in this case, for an additional card or you can discard one card from your hand. If you win, I tell you which glass has the sleeping pills in it and you can choose which glass you drink. If you lose, I don't tell you and you have a 50/50 chance of getting the glass with the pills. If you fall asleep in the next hour, I use my method to look into your mind and if you do not, we do things the hard way."

He watched as Kaiba thought things over for a moment. Yami barely restrained his smile when the other agreed to the game, "Alright, but we are using my deck."

Yami was slightly insulted but willing to let it slide for the time being, "Fine. Deal."

Kaiba pulled a deck of cards out of his bedside table and strode across the room towards Yami. Expertly, he broke open the package and shuffled the deck. Quickly, he dealt both him and Yami a hand. Yami had a two and a Queen, fourteen points total. He held his ground. Kaiba grinned, an incredulous look of triumph on his face, "Figures. First time I beat you and no one is around to see it." Kaiba lowered his hand to show a jack of hearts and a ten of diamonds, twenty-one points total.

"Congratulations, Kaiba. The glass on the left has the sleeping pills. I hope the fruits of your victory don't hurt you too much." Yami smiled sadly at the gloating form of the CEO.

Kaiba grabbed the glass on the right and smirked, "I suppose being dead has erode the abilities of the King of Games. Whoever thought that you would lose so easily." He strode over and leaned on the edge of his bed smugly.

Yami just shook his head sadly, "Such things happen when your heart is not in the game Kaiba. I thought I had taught you that at least."

Kaiba snorted and sipped his drink. "As if I ever listened to your nonsense." He paused, than looked up at Yami, voice breathy. "What have you done? You've cheated."

"No Kaiba. That glass does not have sleeping pills in it. It is a draught filled with shadow magic. I never said the glasses were filled with water." Yami walked over to him, removed the glass from his hand and gently shoved his shoulder. Kaiba passed out in a dead faint. "The most important thing is to remember what the goal is Kaiba. I wanted you asleep, you wanted to stay awake. I win yet again. I hope that illusion of control helped you. "

Carefully, Yami climbed up onto the bed next to Kaiba, dragging the lax figure up to the mattress's center. Kneeling beside the sleeping figure, Yami turned his focus inward. Slowly, he released some of the shadow magic flowing through his body, telling it to search for its companion now dancing along with the drink in Kaiba's body. The magic accommodatingly flowed out of Yami's body, dragging his soul along, and plunged into the sleeping form next to him.

Yami felt as if he was diving into a warm pool, like he was being embraced on all sides by something soft and comforting. Opening his eyes, he saw himself in a room and not just any room. He was floating gently above a soul room, Seto Kaiba's soul room. It was enormous. In the center of the room stood a dueling arena and surrounding the walls, stacked neatly on shelves that rose to the ceiling, were trophies of every shape and size imaginable. Yami's spirit floated to the 'ground' and looked around in awe, "Mother of Creation help me. Where do I begin?" Yami walked over to one of the shelves and brushed a finger over one trophy. Picking it up, he examined it. For a trophy it looked odd. It was the shape of a building; it looked almost like Kaiba Corp. headquarters, if a little smaller. Yami allowed himself to drift backwards while looking at the item in his hands until he bumped against the dueling arena in the center of the room. Suddenly the arena burst to life, colors a living mist jumping up out of the center of the arena to form images. Yami jerked upright and the images disappeared. Carefully, Yami stepped up onto the platform, still clutching the trophy and the images reappeared. Looking at them he saw a younger Kaiba. He was seated at the head of a conference table, across from him the breeze flew in through a broken window. His voice drifted through the room. "Call the police, we must report this tragedy immediately." Despite the gravity of his words, a triumphant, malicious smile, the same smile Yami had banished from his face years ago, graced Kaiba's face. Suddenly Yami knew what he was seeing. He was seeing the day that Kaiba successfully took control of Kaiba Corp. Yami stepped down from the platform. The image disappeared. These trophies must represent Kaiba's triumphs, both good and bad. The likelihood that any of these could help him were small. No. What he needed to see were the memories that Kaiba didn't cherish for one reason or another.

Suddenly, Yami flashed back on something that Kaiba had once said…

"Because everything is a battle for me Yami. My life, my company, my abandoned hobby, everything. I don't know anything that doesn't have to do with battle. Even you. You were a battle for me Yami…One that I lost. Unluckily for you, some time since you left, I learned to leave all hopeless battles behind me. I've had no other choice."

Yami winced. Kaiba was the type of person to bury the memories of battles lost and what he needed to find were lost memories. If there was a place to look, that's it. Yami began his search. Although he seemed to search for hours, picking up one trophy after another, everything he examined was another victory. Yami was both impressed and frustrated. Then, when he had just about finished examining everything on the first wall, he found a trap door, hidden carefully behind a shelf. Bending down, Yami lifted the door and stared down into uninviting darkness. This looked…promising…in a creepy, intimidating way. Yami concentrated on imagining a torch and one appeared in his hand. All that time trapped in his soul room had been useful after all. He supposed he could have used a flashlight but he still didn't quite think that way. The light illuminated a set of twisting stairs, seemly supported by nothing. The stairs plummeted down into the darkness, their appearance bringing to mind every horror movie Yami had ever heckled while sitting comfortably next to Yugi during a late night movie marathon. Somehow, the sight was not so funny now.

Steeling himself, Yami began his descent. Finally, hours later, Yami reached another room. Geez, Seto really did not want to visit these memories. Looking around, this room was a striking contrast to the grandeur of the room he had left. Where the other room was open, bright and well tended, this room was musty, covered in spider webs, dank and dark in the way of a crypt. The whole place had a feeling of neglect, loneliness. This room also had shelves, broken, and the items on them were not neatly stacked. Instead, they were carelessly thrown down. In the corner of his eye, Yami saw a book, it looked like a photo album. For some reason, he was attracted to it. He crept quietly, although he did not know why his movements were so careful, over to the book and examined it. The cover was yellow, mildew staining the cover. Disgusted, he kicked the cover with his foot, causing the pages to flip open. He would have turned away then except for the fact that the pictures inside were surprisingly vibrant…and they were moving.

Carefully, he knelt down and studied them. What he saw stole his breath. They were pictures of him…and he looked radiant. Never had he seen himself as so perfect…beautiful even. In many of the pictures, he was not alone. Kaiba was with him. Watching them, he saw that they were memories of battles fought, not against Kaiba, but with him. But they were wrong somehow. In them, Kaiba looked dirty, tired worn, and himself…well he already stated how he looked. Is this how Seto saw things? Did he find himself repugnant and Yami beautiful? One picture in particular caught his eye. He remembered that duel. He watched as Kaiba began to fall to the ground. He saw his own mouth move to yell the others name while he ran to catch him. Here is where the moving picture changed the story. In the picture, Yami's gaze caught and held Kaiba's. Kaiba's…no Seto's eyes were half lidded…passionate. The image, the psuedo-image of me, bent slowly towards Seto until our lips meant, noses brushing as heads tilted to the side, the kiss deepening. Suddenly the picture faded to black, reappearing at the beginning of the duel. Looking back at the other photos, he figured out what was happening. These were Seto's fantasies, Yami thought in wonder. Not the hot and sweaty kinds, although he was sure he could find those in here somewhere. These were his might-have-beens, his should-have-beens, his rewrites of reality...and they were…romantic. Is this what Kaiba meant when he said that Yami was one battle that he had lost? Had he not been talking about the duels?

Yami resisted the temptation to burrow further into the album. These thoughts were private. He was here to find something in particular. Prying was unfair and unethical of him. He reverently put the book down on an intact shelf and continued to look. Almost immediately, another door caught his attention. This door was more secure than the door to Fort Knox. Huge, rusted iron stood in front of him, every second inch covered by a cross bar. Somehow, he knew that what he was looking for was in there. One by one, he removed the cross bars until he could open the door. Pulling with all his might, the door swung slowly, the squeaking of infrequently used hinges grating on his ears like the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. The room on the other side was lightless and barren, the walls, solid steel. In the room was a lone item, a child's jacket. Yami paced into the room and picked it up only to be plunged into darkness as the door swung shut behind him. Frantically, Yami swung around to face the door and found himself starring at a young boy, pressed against a wall, creeping slowly towards a dim light source. He was no longer in the steel room. He was in some sort of hallway, and the boy across from him, he looked like a younger version of the man he had come to love. Yami blended into the shadows and watched.

Despite his pounding heart, Seto continued stoutly down the hallway, towards the open door of the headmaster's office. Reaching his destination, he stealthfully aligned his body with the frame of the door, his crouched position keeping his reflection out of the window that took up the upper half of the wall across the way. From his current position, he could now make out what the voices were saying.

"So we have a deal." Seto shivered. That was the voice, the one instilled with death and malice. This was the person his instincts were bucking against. He looked up at the window across from him and noticed that he could see a reflection of the room's occupants. Thank god for our dear anal-retentive cleaning lady, Seto thought to himself. Practically every surface in this building was reflective thanks to her. Now all he had to do was wait until the reflection showed that no one was looking towards the door. Than he would make his break for it. Unfortunately, that time was not now. Seated at his desk, a desk that was situated as per tradition directly across from the door, was none other than the headmaster himself. Getting caught by him would surely get him in worlds of trouble. Especially seeing that his forehead was still bleeding. The headmaster was a real stickler for no in grounds fighting.

Seto continued to study the reflection and what he saw made his brow wrinkle in confusion. There, next to the headmaster stood Margaret, and behind her a mousy looking man in a lab coat. What was she doing here at this time of night? Of all the residents, she was one of the most amiable and easy going. There was no way she had done anything worth having her called up here at this time at night. It was also far too late for any adoption proceedings. What the hell was going on? Now Seto was not even looking for an opening. Now he was curious.

"Well. I am waiting for your answer." Seto suppressed a shudder. Dang, he wished that man would keep his mouth shut. He should narrate Alfred Hitchcock Movies or something. Maybe he was auditioning for a part as the crypt keeper. Whoever, he was, he wasn't the lab coat. He had to be some where in the room that he couldn't see. From the sound of things, he was seated to the left of the door. That's funny; Seto thought to himself. He could make out smoke in the window's reflections. The guy didn't sound like a smoker. His voice was too smooth…slimy even. Anyway, the smoke was drifting in from the right side of the door. Were there two people in the room that he could not see?

"It's a good deal Mr. Wilton. All your little girl's medical bills will be covered. What more could you ask for? All we ask is that you provide us with what we need in return." Fudge, Seto continued to curse inwardly. Now there were five people in the room, not counting Margaret who he was sure would never rat on him. This guy wasn't the smoker either. His voice was too squeaky…and he was a lawyer. Yup, definitely a lawyer. Seto had seen enough of them while his relatives were fighting over the small inheritance left to him and his brother. One that, not so amazingly, him and his brother no longer had. His chances of getting away unnoticed were shrinking. Another puff of smoke drifted across the reflection. Geez, that crap was thick. This guy must smoke cigars.

"I don't know gentleman," Ah, Seto thought, a voice I can recognize. That was the headmaster. "What exactly is it that you plan to do with them. I can't in all good conscience..."

The slimy voice cut in making Seto wince, than freeze, "Now, now Mr. Wilton. Let's not muddy the waters with the semblance of morality. Don't ask and we won't tell. You really don't want to know do you? After all, what your doing is human trading. You don't exactly have the moral high ground here, no matter how admirable your love of your daughter."

Seto's mind screamed. WHAT! Human trading. What's going on?

Seto saw the headmaster start to shake his head and the evil voice picked up again. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you. These children are going to be the latest thing in weapons technology. We've already completed the preliminary experiments, now we just need some raw material."

Seto tensed; ready to run the other way when he saw the headmaster jump up in his chair. Luckily, the man stayed where he was and yelled, "Raw Material! What are you talking about!" That's what Seto wanted to know. Untensing, he settled back down to listen.

"It's a little difficult to explain. Perhaps you need a demonstration." The man on the left must have gestured in some way to the lab coat because Mr. Mousy reached into his pocket and removed a syringe. Seto tensed yet again as Margaret made to run out of the room, only to be stopped by an arm on her shoulder. She started to cry, wail, kick and scream. Seto was in shock. He didn't think Margie had that much fight in her. What the heck was about to happen? In the reflection, Mr. Mousy wrapped an arm under Margaret's and over her opposite shoulder, forcing her head to the side. Slowly, the needle disappeared into her neck and the plunger was depressed. Margie froze. Seto started to tremble. The menace of his atmosphere seemed to increase a hundred fold. The shadows that scared him early returned with frantic urgency, almost as if they were trying to devour him. Desperately, Seto focused on the image in front of him only to see something more horrible than he ever imagined possible. The shadows rushed passed him and into the well lite room as if light had lost its power to banish them. The darkness settled around Margie and started to churn, her mouth opened in a soundless scream, her face stretched into a mask of limitless agony, agony so strong that no sound could express it. The darkness seeped into the open orifices of her bodies, creeping streams entering ears, nose and mouth. When, finally, the darkness had all entered Margie, a new image started to appear, a black whirlpool centered directly over Margies heart. Slowly, out of the dark portal, a long, hairy claw tip appendage extended, followed slowly by one…two…six…seven others. The legs dug into the antique rug that adorned the floor of Mr. Wilton's office, pulling, until slowly a grotesque head came into sight. Seto frantically swallowed a scream, pressing himself against the wall as hard as his small body could manage, in an attempt to silence his audible trembling. There, staring right at him in the window's reflection, were the multi-faceted eyes of a monstrously big spider, fangs wiggling and writhing with dripping saliva. Margie's body, now hole less, was completely obscured by the huge body in front of her.

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit." Seto's mind barely registered the panicked litany of the headmaster in the background as he tried to steady his own panicked breathing. Tears started to trail down Seto's face. He didn't know what was going on but, god, he was so scared. Things like this weren't supposed to be real. The image in front of him was blurred now but he couldn't seem to draw his gaze away, captivated by the certain death that was standing in front of him. He registered movement in the room. Holy. It knew he was there. It was coming after him. Seto wanted to bolt so badly but he couldn't. His body wouldn't listen to him. Stupid, stupid body. Where was adrenaline when you needed it?

No wait. It's not the monster that's moving, it's the man. The man on the left was moving towards that thing. Was he crazy! Oh, my god! Seto's chest was now heaving uncontrollably, that man was petting it. HE WAS PETTING IT! Seto stared in disbelief as a man, dressed in a three-piece suit, walked calmly up to a…whatever…and petted it. Absently, he noticed that the man's ring, some sort of multi-headed serpent, was flashing in the rooms light. The man's voice added to Seto's terror.

With academic detachment, he ceased petting the creature and back-handed the headmaster, something that at any other time would have made Seto smile. Now, it only made him wince and shrink further down into the darkness at the edge of the door. "You see. You didn't want to see that now did you? But…now that you have, you might as well know the truth. After all, your with us or against us now." The man patted the headmaster's shoulder, almost affectionately, "And you don't want to be against us now do you?"

Frantically the headmaster shook his head no. "Never. I would never be against you."

"I didn't think so." The man's voice continued to slink, so in accord with the darkness, "You see, we have discovered, quite by accident I assure you, that our world is not the only one in existence. There is another. In this other world exists beasts beyond modern imagination. They roam free, fighting epic battles. Now imagine how powerful man could be if he could harness the power of these beasts. That, my dear headmaster, is what we do. We harness their power and we sell them as weapons. More specifically, we use these children to call the beasts to this world. The children, you see, can control them and we, my dear headmaster, can control the children. We simply implant orders into their heads and then force them to call a monster. The monster than obeys the orders that we ourselves have implanted in the minds of their masters. Perfect, Yes?"

The man paced over to Margie, standing behind her oddly calm, docile figure. "There is just one problem. The children…well, they burn out. We've been borrowing Margie here for what, almost three weeks now, and she's practically used up. You remember how spunky she used to be. Well," the man had the audacity to give a despairing sigh, "She isn't quite what she used to be now is she?"

The man moved back out of Seto's line of vision. "Margie, send it home." Gradually, the black hole returned to Margie's chest and she opened her arms. The creature brushed up against her, almost like a dog with its master, before it gradually returned to whence it came. The hole disappeared. Seto looked at Margie's face. No one was home. Her eyes were blank, her spirit gone. Her body collapsed. "So, back to business. We can now make the perfect weapons if we all just work together. Our compatriot to my right provides the capital and markets our product, my company, of course, is responsible for research and development, and you...you, my dear headmaster, provide us with fresh children. Really. That's not too much to ask now is it? These children aren't wanted by anyone anyways. Their loss will save your daughter's life and make you a rich man in the process. You do know that you have to help us now don't you?"

Seto saw the headmaster collapse to his knees, resignation set in every line of his body, "Yes. I'll do as you tell me. Just don't hurt my family or me."

Seto shook his head continually in denial. This could not be happening. He had to get him and Mokuba out of there now. He had to think of something. They could not wait for him to be old enough to support the two of them. They had run out of time. No matter what, he would cheat, lie, kill, steal, anything…as long as him and his brother were far away from this condemned place, this meat house for hell. Finally, Seto registered that no one in the reflection was currently looking at the door and he made a blind dash across the threshold and down the opposite hallway. Unfortunately, he had forgotten one thing. With his back turned, Seto did not see cold eyes obscured by a ring of smoke, staring intently down the hallway after his fleeing figure.

Seto threw his body upright, screaming wordless nothings over and over, hands clawing at his face.

Yami shook him hard, "Seto! Snap out of it! You're in your room. I'm with you. I'll take care of you. Nothing is wrong here."

Seto's screams became whining moans as he wrapped his arms around his body, rocking back and forth as if to comfort himself. "I left them. I was the only one that knew and I left them. I left them all to hell. I know I did. It's all my fault, all my fault. Oh my god! I left them. I knew and I left them. I'm evil. I'm so evil. Why do I even try to be anything else? I've already hurt them. I knew and I did nothing to save them. Its all my fault."

Yami reached over and slapped Seto hard across the face. Causing the other to turn and stare at him with tear blinded eyes. "You are not evil. I never want to hear you say that again!" Yami reached around the sweaty figure of the boy…for he looked like a lost child at the moment…and hugged him tight to his own body. Yami was about to cry himself. He knew why Seto had locked this memory away. It hadn't been his fault but his child's mind accepted the responsibility for the pain of the ones he didn't…he couldn't have helped in the orphanage. He interpreted his own desperate flight as abandonment of the others.

"Gods, Seto. I am so sorry." Yami apologized, "I never wanted to hurt you like this. I love you so much."

Yami's words seemed to flip a switch in Seto's head for in the next moment, Yami was pushed across the bed so far that he almost fell off its massive surface.

"You love me?" Poison words dripped out of Seto's mouth as he crawled backwards off the opposite side of the bed. "You dare to say you love me!"

Yami reached out to him gently, trying to calm him, "Seto, please."

Seto's feet hit the floor and he reached for the table lamp, "You fucking liar!" He threw the lamp at Yami who barely ducked in time to miss being hit. "You're just like all the rest. You say you love me and then you leave. If you love me, where have you been for the last two years?"

Yami stared in shocked silence. Seto had always been angry but never had he seen him so absolutely furious. He was magnificent. The blazer that he had worn earlier that day had been discarded sometime before, his light blue untucked shirt clung to his sweaty body, outlining the perfect contours of his chest. His body looked hot, and flushed, color adorning his cheeks, his chest heaving up and down as if in massive exertion. Hair hung down in wet clumps to frame blazing blue eyes. Against his will, Yami felt his body react. "Kaiba…"

Seto cut him off violently, " Shut up." Kaiba threw the glass of liquid soaking the bedspread as it flipped through the air only to shatter on impact with the screen behind Yami, "You think you know me, don't you?" Seto's hissed, "Poor Kaiba. Poor orphan. Abused by his stepfather into being a bastard. Well you don't know shit. You think no one ever loved me. I had parents you know. I was old enough to remember them. I was old enough to hear all the lies." Seto stalked around the room, his expression full of menace and hate, "Christmas, Whites day, Valentines, I remember them all. Aunts, uncles, cousins, all saying 'I love you' 'I need you' 'you're my favorite nephew' and what the fuck happened. Nothing! That's what. It was all a lie! They all just wanted something from me. They all left. Mother left, father left, the aunts and uncles robbed me and then left. At least my stepfather never pretended to care. And you," Seto cussed having reached Yami , "You left me to, didn't you!" Seto yelled, practically into Yami's face, pressing the others body hard into the bed with his own.

Despite Seto's rage, Yami wasn't scared. He was almost exhilarated. Seto was consumed with a violent passion, his body pressed lengthwise against his own. He could feel the others penis growing erect as it pressed against him. Seto now had him pinned to the bed, breath brushing across his face. His voice dropping to a deadly whisper, "And what do you want Yami. Do you want me?" Seto ground hard against Yami causing him to gasp, "I think you do." Radiating off Seto's body, Yami could feel the need to dominate, to regain the control he had lost when Yami invaded his dreams.

Harshly Seto, pushed Yami back down onto the mattress, shoving him back and towards the center of the bed as he crawled up and over the smaller figure. Seto straddled the others waist and grasped both sides of the crimson red button-up bought just that day. Violently, he ripped the two sides a part sending buttons flying in every direction before collapsing onto the smaller figure. He ground his own mouth harshly into Yami's, crushing lips into teeth and drawing blood. Fumbling, he tore open the button to Yami's slacks, reaching into pants to roughly encircle the throbbing erection. Yami bucked causing Seto to draw back and release his new toy. Yami whimpered in protest. Now sitting up, Seto undid the first button on his own shirt. Yami's hands raised as if to help him only to be slapped harshly aside, "Don't touch me whore." Losing patience, Seto yanked his own shirt over his head, exposing the bandages that started just below his nipples and stopped just above his belly button. He took a moment to stare at the rise and fall of the bronze chest displayed beneath him, savoring his control over the petite figure. "Mine." He whispered, as his head descended to bite harshly at an erect nipple.

Yami couldn't help himself. He let out a small cry of pain as Seto's teeth sank into sensitive flesh causing the other to pause.

Seto's body stiffened. Coming slowly to his senses, Seto raised his head enough to see the imprint of his teeth in supple flesh. Groaning, he bent back down and caressed the injury with his tongue. In trying to gain control, he had lost it. He apologized in the only way he knew how, with actions. Slowly, he let his tongue trail up the others body, over the prominent collarbone, and onto the soft flesh of the others exposed neck. Again, Yami tried to raise his hands to caress the others hair only to be stopped by a sharp syllable, "Don't."

Yami let his hands fall back to the mattress and groaned. Slowly, Seto slinked backwards off the bed, fingers hooked in Yami's pants, dragging the unwanted, restricting fabric with him. Appreciatively, he took in the fact that Yami didn't wear briefs or boxers, a man after his own heart.

Turning his head, Yami saw Seto discard his own pants before moving to remove both ties from the curtains. Yami lay captivated by the flex and release of muscle under skin as Seto glided to the bedside table and removed a small tube. Returning to the bed, Seto ordered, "Slide closer to the post."

Yami accommodated, putting both feet flat on the bedspread and pushing, forcing his body across the cool, slick satin towards the bedpost. He could feel Seto's eyes on him and he heard the other moan. Graceful as a cat, Seto moved across the bed on all fours, tube in one hand and ties in the other. Settling on his haunches between Yami's spread legs, he grabbed both of Yami's hands, tying them together with one of the cords. He leaned far over Yami, to tie the other cord around both Yami's bound hands and the post behind Yami's head. Presented with the delectable site of Seto's firm abdomen, Yami stuck out his tongue and thrust it in and out of the others belly button, Seto's penis caressing the underside of his chin. Seto gasped, allowing the lower half of his body to sink closer to the torturing mouth, eyes closed and back arched. Taking a deep shuddering breath, Seto returned to his position on his haunches and studied the flushed form beneath him before stretching out on top of the other. Seto flicked his own tongue in and out of Yami's ear, the slick muscle tracing all the twists and turns inside it. "Your mine," he whispered, his breath sending shivers down Yami's body.

"Yes. Yours." Yami threw his head back, rubbing his body against the firm chest curving around him, bandages providing harsh stimulation to his already oversensitive nipples. "Gods!" He felt Seto's smirk, as the hard, slick body slid slowly down his own, kissing down his neck, his chest, sucking on his nipples.

Seto raised lazy eyes to stare into crimson. "It's too late to pray now. I've got you and I'm not letting go." His own erection an aching distraction, Seto continued down the others body until he was face to face with the purple head at his lover's center. "Yum." Seto closed one had around the base of Yami's penis, kneading and pulling. At the same time, he closed his lips over the head, gently sipping at the liquid coated slit, the other hand caressing up and down one of the glistening thighs framing his head. Yami screamed and thrust, his body a taunt bow. Seto removed his mouth to nuzzle the sweaty crevice between thigh and groin, lips curving at the wordless begging falling out of Yami's mouth. The hand grasping Yami's penis glided further down to roll the others balls gently, his mouth moving to nip and suck at the taunt skin between balls and anus.

Yami was going out of his mind. At this point, he was willing to do anything. "Fuck Me! Please Fuck Me Hard," Yami heard, and felt, Seto's hard in take of breath. He watched as Seto reared back, eyes rolling back into his head at Yami's words.

"You want it hard." Seto's voice was deep, gravelly.

"Yes. Pl…Please. PLEASE FUCK ME." Yami begged.

"Oh god!" Seto groaned as he fished around blindly in the sheets for the lube.

"NOW! NOW! NOW!" Yami screamed in desperate demand.

Finding what he was looking for, Seto coated the fingers of his left hand, his right hand dropping to grasp the base of Yami's manhood, preventing him from coming as his mouth encompassed Yami's entire length. Yami began to sob as Seto's tongue frantically slid up and down his pulsating dick. Seto, quickly coated the area around Yami's anus with his free hand before roughly shoving two fingers into the others entrance. The pain barley registered in Yami's lust fogged mind as Seto scissored and stretched him. Yami bucked again, almost chocking Seto, when Seto struck his soft spot. Blinded by his lust, Seto withdrew, coating his erection and thrusting harshly into the only partial prepared other. Yami made a garbled sound in the back of his throat at the stretching, full feeling while Seto bellowed at being tightly embraced by the others passage. Thought flew out the window as Seto pounded relentlessly into Yami's prostrate. Yami cried out Seto's name as his body convulsed with his climax, Seto following Shortly after with a yelled, "Mine."

Seto collapsed to Yami's side, completely exhausted. He struggled for enough energy to untie Yami before again falling to the mattress. Yami listlessly turned his head to face his lover only to see the others half-asleep expression.

"Yami." Seto muttered, almost incoherent.

"Yes?"

Slurred words, fell from Seto's swollen lips, "Tell me you love me again. Tell me you'll stay with me forever."

Yami felt tears gather in his eyes, "I love you but you know I can't tell you that."

Seto tiredly looked into Yami's eyes, the drug again taking effect as adrenalin worked its way out of Seto's blood stream. "Lie to me. Please. Just once." Seto closed his eyes and whispered, "Tell me you'll stay with me my beautiful liar… Mine… My very own beautiful liar." A soft snore left Seto's lips.

Yami reached around Seto's back to hold him in his sleep only to pull back at the feel of something tacky. His bandages were again soaked in blood. Yami would have to get up and change them…and he would…in a moment. In a couple more moments, when his heart stopped breaking and tears stopped staining his face.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Pairings: SetoxYami, BakuraxRyou

Warnings: Cussing, implied nudity and sex, general idiocy

Spoilers: I don't think so

Rating: NC-17

Disclaimer: I don't own em folks. If I did, the show would have needed a rating.

Put here everything that I was supposed to say but didn't.

Chapter 9:

Bakura allowed his mind to wander as his fingers flew across keys, his chair rolling between consoles in his continual search for new leads. Gods, he loved technology and that cold-ass bastard, Kaiba, had the best toys. Bakura remembered his original fury at having to learn the 'superior methods' of the twenty-first century, but in the end, all his effort had been worthwhile. After all, it hadn't taken him long to learn, and become enamored with, technology. He was a quick learner despite of…or maybe because of…his previous occupation. Just thinking of all the dastardly things a person with his skills could do with technology…well, it made his mouth water. For instance, in that movie with the heist, the one with all the hotties…what was it? Oh Yes. Oceans Eleven. He smirked to himself. Going to a place called Sin City and robbing someone who reminded him of Kaiba blind, now that was his idea of a great vacation. Of course, he would have done a better job at the heist than the fools in the movie. For one, he would have killed the girl and screwed the best friend silly, Brad Pitt if he remembered correctly…and maybe the kid. He couldn't remember the kids name but what did that matter. He wouldn't have used it anyways.

Bakura pushed a final key and sat back, kicking his feet up so that they rested on the console in front of him. It would take the computer, even a super computer like the one he was playing with at the moment, at least a couple minutes to conduct the search he just input. Bakura let his mind trail back to the events of that morning.

Bakura intently studied the video feed, reaching down to touch himself through his pants. Thank goodness, or badness in his case, that he had the foresight to plant that hidden camera above the shower stall last time he visited Ryou. He hadn't been getting any for a while and it was starting to wear on his normally cheerful disposition. How the hell was he to know that his light would be so upset about his meaningless little fling with Malik? It had only been once. And why did it matter that they had used his and Ryou's bed? Would it have been better if he had nailed the blond sexpot in the kitchen where the neighbors obnoxious thirteen year-old ditzy daughter could have looked in and seen them? Pausing, Bakura reflected, actually that might have been kinda fun. Corrupting the innocent was one of the real pleasures in life. Regardless, he was now banished until he, 'understood what he had done wrong.' To steel a phrase from the ditz, 'As if.' Anyways, if the video feed was any indication of his lights own frustrations, his hand wouldn't be his only friend for much longer.

"Bakura."

Bakura fell to the ground gracelessly when his start of surprise caused the chair to roll out from under him, "Ow. Damn it pharaoh! What do you want?" Geez. Couldn't a man jerk off at work without interruption anymore? Bakura stood up and brushed himself off before turning to look at Yami…and then he looked, and looked, and then he looked some more.

Damn! Was it his birthday? Yami stood in front of him, torn red shirt hanging open framing a well-toned and tanned chest, pants hanging low on his hips, zipped, but also missing a button. Was that a bite mark on the other's chest? Yami was an egotistical jerk and they would never so much as kiss, but as eye candy, he was sweet enough to kill a diabetic.

Bakura smirked. The pharaoh's state of dress was too good to let pass without comment. "Well, well, well. Looks like someone's ass was well polished last night. So tell me, was it yours or the priests?" He held up his hands in a mock defensive position, "Don't hold back on my account. I don't mind sharing him with you."

Bakura watched as a haughty, condescending expression settled on Yami's face. Looks like he was going to be ignored…so much for having a little fun. Bakura cocked his head to the side. Perhaps he should tell Yami what Kaiba meant when he told his secretary to treat Yami appropriately. By now, the woman had definitely set up a spending account for Kaiba's new 'personal bodyguard.' The pharaoh just needed to make a call and clothes would be delivered to the mansion within the hour. Bakura again examined the figure in front of him. Nah, he thought. He had never been one to deny himself the free pleasures in life, and Yami dressed like a well-used whore…well that was one of the best pleasures he'd experienced since he'd gotten his body.

"These are the only clothes I have at the moment." Yami's voice held an odd combination of tones, part bitterness, part sadness, a little despair, and, of course, the ever-annoying arrogance. "Kaiba allows you in this room?" Yami swept his hand around to encompass Kaiba's on-site, one-time secret, computer lab.

Bakura raised an eyebrow. The pharaoh's tone intrigued him. Something about it was priceless. He seemed like he was…Bakura again studied the others face. Oh my God! He was. Yami was jealous of him. And over Kaiba. Someone who had always been and would always be the pharaoh's. He had his memories. Didn't he recall some of the 'worshipping' that used to go on between the priest and 'the living incarnation of Horace.' Oh, he was loving this. Ah, the sweet bliss of rubbing your enemy's face in their own stupidity.

Bakura raised a mocking eyebrow; "Of course he lets me in here. I've lived on his property for almost two years now. Not to mention, I've been head of security for almost a year and a half. He taught me how everything works in here…personally," Bakura lightly stressed the last word.

"Cut the crap Bakura." Yami growled and Bakura exalted in the other's reaction. "I have some new information for you, something that may help you in your search."

"Really? Well, you know, I am always happy to help the boss out with any of his…needs."

Gods he was having fun taunting the pharaoh. While speaking, Bakura had lowered his eyelids in an, admittedly crappy, imitation of bashfulness. Raising his eyelids, he stared at the pharaoh. Uh oh. The storm settling on the others face warned him that the other was not in the mood to brush off his taunting lightly and with no one here to distract him…lets just say that he wasn't ready to lose his new body to the pharaoh turned shadow monster's temper tantrum. Time to back off. "Just tell me what you have and I'll start looking."

When Yami started to speak, Bakura had to forcefully suppress a shudder. He recognized the other's tone now. This one he had heard before, although only once. It was the tone the pharaoh had used when publicly proclaiming a death sentence on one of Bakura's less than skilled ex-compatriots. And back then; there was no law against cruel and unusual punishments. They were, in fact, the norm.

Each word clearly demarcated and devoid of human sentiment, Yami stated, "I have faces, but only two names. It seems to involve two companies, a financier slash marketing company and a research company. A third party is involved in human trading, specifically, children."

Bakura whistled. That was dark, even for him. He didn't particularly care if children died while he pursued his own goals. After all, children could be dangerous. He had only been a child when he started to gain a reputation in his own career. But even he never targeted children. He actual tended to enjoy taking out the occasional frustration on the flesh peddlers that specialized in children. Their dying screams were particularly gratifying to a street rat. Bakura started to genuinely focus on what the other was saying.

"The names are Margaret and Mr. Wilton. They should both be connected to the orphanage at which Seto and Mokuba stayed after their parent's death. I doubt Margaret is still alive and she probably wouldn't be any help to us if she was. Mr. Wilton, however, might be useful. I know he has a family, a daughter at least. She had serious medical problem in the past. You might be able to find something on her by looking into medical records from facilities in the area of the orphanage. The other players seem to be a man, unnamed, in an unexceptional lab coat, a cigar smoker, and a gentleman who wears three-piece suits. Useless I know, although I could probably identify the suit and the scientist if I saw pictures of them."

Bakura shook his head, "You have to be kidding me. That's not enough if you actually want me to find something."

Yami reflected Bakura's previous smirk back at him, "So, basically your telling me that the great Bakura can't figure out one little puzzle because there are too few pieces."

Bakura growled. How dare the pharaoh mock him? If he was so good, why wasn't he doing the looking? "So you want me to find one suit, one cigar smoker, and one anonymous lab rat out of thousands? No one could do that."

"The 'suit,' as you call him, did have one unique characteristic." Yami dropped.

"Stop playing with me pharaoh and spit it out. I don't have all day." Geez, he hated that arrogant, self-centered, egotistical…

"Yes. I could see how…hard," Yami imitated Bakura by emphasizing the one word, "you were working when I came in."

Bakura's eyebrow started to twitch as his mind repeated the word bastard in an unending litany. "Tell me again. Why isn't Kaiba the one talking to me? Most of our business transactions are conducted one-on-one," the word 'on' emphasized.

Bakura's taunt didn't have the expected result. Instead, Yami's face turned serious. "He hasn't woken up. He's not doing so well. I think the turmoil of the last few days has finally gotten to him." Yami sighed in resignation, "That leaves only the two of us for the time being. We'll have to learn to work with each other."

Oh goody, thought Bakura. I get to go to hell and I'm not even dead yet…I'm not dead again anyways. Still angry, Bakura spit out, "Fine, tell me this unique characteristic. If you can give me anything solid, by the end of the evening I'll have more information than _you_ could get with a mandate from the heavens and a blessing from all the gods."

Staring Bakura straight in the eye, Yami didn't rise to the bait. Instead he answered the question, "The man wore a ring. It was somewhat unusual. It looked a lot like a signet ring and it was crawling with shadow magic. The ring had the emblem of a four-headed snake, a hydra maybe. The two heads in the middle were entwined, while the heads on the periphery wrapped around the ring's band. I think that ring meant something. See if you can find that symbol somewhere. I think that symbol may be the key we've been looking for." Yami turned to leave the room, paused and turned around, "And Bakura…"

"What?" Bakura growled, still angry. He never could let go of a grudge very quickly.

"With that information, you should be able to find something out _before_ the end of the evening."

Yami departed, closing the door a moment before the chair Bakura threw could strike him.

The computer beeped pulling Bakura out of his meditative state. Sitting up, he rolled his chair over to the printer and carefully examined the output. Bingo. Take that you stupid pharaoh. Two hours and I hit the jackpot.

Adjusting the computer to accept out-going calls, Bakura tried to reach the main house. With Kaiba sleeping and Mokuba unconscious, he was pretty sure the pharaoh would answer. A moment later his hunch was confirmed.

"Kaiba residence." Yami answered.

"If you want to know what the hell is going on, get over here now." Bakura slammed the phone down in the other's ear with a smile. Giving rude orders always made him happy, especially when he was ordering around uppity ex-pharaohs.

He picked the phone back up and arranged to have clothing delivered for the pharaoh. Where they were going, the damn fool would have to be dressed…more's the pity. He had just finished the pleasant occupation of scaring a few of Kaiba's choice employees into the task when Yami entered the room. Deciding not to waste any more time, he threw a folder at the entering figure. Dang, the annoying wretch caught it. "I doubt Kaiba told you anything important. Everything I've found out previous to now is in that folder. You may want to come up-to-date before I get back."

Yami looked up from his examination of the folders contents, "You're leaving?"

"Only for the time being. We'll need a third party if were going to be successful at conducting the little interview we're going on." Bakura snorted, "Let's face it, I'm intimidating as hell and you are no Yugi. The person we're going to see does not need to be terrified. If anything, she needs to be coaxed. Neither of coax." Bakura smoothly switched gears, "As for what I've found out today, I'll tell you that while we're on our way to our destination. It should take us about an hour to get there so we have time."

Bakura made to leave only to imitate the pharaoh's earlier actions by turning around at the door, "One more thing. I've ordered you some clothing. They'll arrive soon. Try to dress your ugly ass before I get back. I'm tired of looking at you."

Yami nodded solemnly, "Thank You, Bakura. I appreciate your efforts. Especially since I know you don't want to help me."

Ignoring the pharaoh's last words, Bakura left. Damn, he felt all warm and fuzzy inside. He needed to do something bad. Where's the cat. He needed to kick the cat.

Yami walked out of Kaiba's bedroom. The other was still sleeping and when he awoke, he was bound to be angry. Not only was he a work-a-holic that slept the whole day away, something Kaiba was bound to blame Yami for, but he was also being left out of the loop. The note Yami left on Kaiba's nightstand told him that they were going out to investigate without him. Although Kaiba would want to and Yami would have normally wanted him to, join them on the investigation, Yami felt that the other needed to rest more than anything else. Things were only going to get more hectic from here on out.

Yami exited the mansion just as a sleek black car pulled around the horseshoe, Bakura in the passenger seat. He took a moment to study the vehicle. It was a sports car with the words Dodge and Viper emblazoned on the back. Striding up to the vehicle, Yami bent over to look into the open window only to see a Bakura look alike in the driver's seat, "Hi Yami! It's good to see you again." The enthusiastic voice of Ryou greeted him.

"Thank You. It good to see you too." Yami returned before redirecting his attention to Bakura, "You must be kidding." Yami continued to study the cramped space in the car. "There's no back seat."

"Get over it," Bakura growled, "It's this or the motorcycle. Make your choice. And no, you may not follow us on the motorcycle. It's mine and I saw what you did to the Escalade."

"That hardly counts. It was an emergency situation." Yami opened the car door and looked in again skeptically as Bakura struggled to get his legs on either side of the gear stick. "Your letting Ryou drive."

"Ryou has a nifty little thing called a license. Anyway, he refused to come if he couldn't drive" Bakura starred hard, as he grumbled "Just be happy I'm not making you sit in the middle." Bakura wriggled uncomfortably. There was no way he was going to let Yami snuggle up next to his light.

Yami managed with some effort to fit into the car and shut the door before adding his own snide comment, "Well, we're lucky that no one in here has a fat ass."

Bakura growled, "There may be no fat asses but if you don't shut up there may be a few fat lips," Bakura studied the pharaoh and smirked, "Looks like there already is one. Who bit you, hmmmm?"

"Guys." Ryou cut in, his voice soft and calm, "Try to get along or it's going to be a very long road trip."

"Fine." Bakura spit out while crossing his arms over his chest and looking determinedly out the front window.

"As you wish." Yami stated, doing the same, only he looked out the side window.

Silence settled over the vehicle as Ryou pulled out of the driveway.

About ten minutes into the trip Yami began to shift in his seat uncomfortably before he broke the quiet, "Bakura. I need to ask something of you."

Bakura raised an eyebrow. The arrogance was gone. Yami sounded unsure. Geez, life was getting weird. Without his customary venom Bakura asked, "What?"

"When I'm gone…" Yami paused.

Bakura never big on patience prompted, "Get on with it."

"Hold on a second." Yami returned. "I just need to know that when I'm gone, you'll stay with Kaiba. I need to know that you won't abandon him."

The tinges of jealousy had returned to Yami's tone. Bakura looked over at Ryou and saw the other's brow lowered in suspicion. Damn the pharaoh. His senseless jealously was getting him in even more trouble than he was already in. This wasn't fun anymore. If he didn't get any soon, he didn't know what he would do. It wouldn't be pretty whatever it was.

"Bakura?" Yami prodded.

Fed up with the others uncustomary insecurity, Bakura broke. To imagine, he thought the confident Yami was annoying, "You're an idiot, you know that?"

"What?" Yami turned to face him.

"If you had half a brain in your head you could tell that I prefer my men more amiable than Kaiba. Geez. What the hell has happened to you? I always knew you were stupid but I never pegged you as a quitter."

Yami's ire began to rise, "What are you talking about?"

Bakura, now heedless of the danger he was courting, snapped at Yami, "Haven't you ever wondered at the dynamics behind the whole 'getting your own body thing? Didn't you ever ask yourself why each of us had to give up what we did?"

"State what you want to say clearly Bakura." Yami's authority had returned. The tone only rubbed Bakura the wrong way.

"Gods you piss me off. Don't you know what it cost me to give up my freedom? The one thing I always had was that. Back in a time where everyone was subject to someone, I was subject to no one. It was the one thing that I valued above all others. It was the only thing that I had that was valuable enough for me to trade in return for my body."

Yami's brow wrinkled, "So what your saying is that if I was to give up my freedom by tying myself to Kaiba or someone like him, I could get a body?"

"No you fool! Aren't you listening?" Bakura was becoming increasingly irritated. He was already upset that he was helping the idiot beside him, "My freedom was the only valuable thing I had. You never had the kind of freedom I did. You were tied to a kingdom. You're valuable possession was your memories, hence, the fact that your trade was different from mine. Your choice was body or memories. My choice was body or freedom. It's the value we instill in things that creates the magic of this world just like it is the darkness that creates magic in the Shadow World. Gods! Do I have to spell everything out for you?"

Yami concentrated, "Do you mean that if I was to give back my memories of Egypt, I could get a mortal body."

"No!" Bakura started to pull on his hair, "Are you being deliberately obtuse or are you just acting like this to piss me off."

Yami snapped back, "Try not to be so vague. You're not saying what you mean, thief."

"I am saying exactly what I mean! You're just not listening!" Bakura took a deep breath and tried to calm down, "Look. Your stupidity is getting on my one and only nerve. You need to find something you value now to trade. You already sealed the other deal. You can't renege on that. It's signed in blood. You need to give up something else. You'll have to think on it. That's all I'm saying." Bakura slammed his body back only to remember he was sitting in front of the speakers, "Ow! Look at what you made me do!"

Yami tuned him out and started to think. Did he have anything valuable enough to trade? He couldn't and wouldn't trade away the memories of his friends and surely he wouldn't give up Seto. That would defeat the purpose of returning. He would have to think on it.

Yami's attention was pulled back by Bakura's disgruntled statement, "If we're done with all this personal crap, it's time to talk business."

Yami nodded, "Yes. I need to know what you've found out."

"I'm curious too," Ryou piped in, "I'm perfectly willing to help Kaiba if he's in trouble but I would like to know what this is all about."

Yami leaned slightly over Bakura, "We are trying to find out who is making attempts on Kaiba's life and why." His explanation was brief and incomplete. He did not want to get the innocent boy involved any more deeply with the shadow world.

"Geez pharaoh," Bakura pushed him back towards his seat, "A little less invasion of the personal space."

Yami pursed his lips as he nodded in an unconscious command that Bakura should start speaking.

Bakura growled than started in on his report anyway. After all, he wanted to brag about what he had found out. Reaching into the glove compartment he pulled out another file. Opening it, he pulled out a picture and handed it over to Yami, "Is this the symbol you saw on the suit's ring."

Yami examined the photograph, "This is it."

"Are you sure?" Bakura questioned.

Yami looked annoyed but he replied anyway, "Positive."

Bakura grinned maliciously, "Excellent. Then we are on the hunt. That symbol is the emblem of Hydra Corp., a research company that used to specialize in tissue regeneration. Unfortunately they went out of business years ago."

Yami looked upset, "What good is that then. Are we going to look at one of their facilities."

Bakura was enjoying stringing the pharaoh along, "No. I have already confirmed that there is no indication of activity in any of their previous test facilities."

Yami just stared at him, "Continue."

"Grief. Neither Kaiba nor you let me have any fun. All right. The interesting thing is the circumstances under which the company shut down." Bakura actually started to talk seriously, "Hydra Corp. has connections to both Kaiba Corp. and the orphanage. The year that Kaiba and Mokuba were adopted, both Kaiba Corp. and Hydra made huge donations to the orphanage, supposedly for renovations. However, the amount of money that flowed from the two companies to the orphanage were huge and not nearly accounted for in the official construction costs. It equaled approximately 150 million American dollars."

Yami furrowed his brow, "I am not familiar with foreign currency. Is that a lot of money?"

Bakura replied, "Let me put it this way, the whole Kaiba estate is only worth 5 million. And there's more."

Yami raised his eyebrows in appreciation. Before nodding that the other should go on.

"It's odd that Hydra donated that money because only three months later, they went out of business due to delinquency of funds. If they were that short on money, they should not have been spending that kind of dough. The last interesting thing is that I could trace some of the money." Bakura paused dramatically, "Some of the money was sent to treat a Miss Samantha Wilton at Sakura Medical Facility three blocks away from the orphanage."

"I take it that Samantha is the daughter of the headmaster I told you about."

"Of course," Bakura bragged, "Not only that, but she was the wife of the next orphanage headmaster. I found her wedding announcement. Her wedding was a private and arranged affair. Her father picked her husband from friends of the family. The best part is, both her father and her husband are deceased under strange circumstances. It seems that rampant animals attacked them both. Due to the strange circumstances of their deaths, Miss Wilton, now Mrs. Niwa, was held under suspicion of murder, a suspicion that could never be confirmed. We are going to question her now to see if she knows anything about her father and/or husbands business. That is why Ryou is with us. Questioning a woman accused of murdering her father and husband is likely to be a sensitive matter."

Ryou looked over at Bakura, "Wow, you sure don't like to make my life easy. I'll do the best that I can but I think you two should stay in the car." Ryou blushed, "I don't really want to scare her."

Yami sighed, "Of course. For now well do things as you say? Try to find out everything you can. We'll wait for you in the car."

Silence settled for the thirty minutes it took to complete the rest of the journey. Finally, Ryou pulled the car up in front of a small, well-manicured house. If they had been in America, it would have looked like something out of Little House on the Prairie. In Japan, it just looked out of place. Ryou slid out of the car and walked through the white picket fence and up to the screen door where he knocked timidly. From the car, Yami could see a young, but worn looking woman answer the door. Bakura leaned over him, both of them leaned out the car window and strained to listen.

"Ma'am." They heard Ryou's gentle and yet polite accent drift across the lawn. "I am very sorry to disturb you but I was hoping that I could talk to the man of the house."

The woman looked startled, "I'm sorry but there is no man in this house."

Ryou gently placed his hand on the door, stopping the woman from shutting it in his face, "But Ma'am, please." Ryou pleaded, "Your husband is responsible for getting me adopted. I just wanted to see him…to thank him."

The woman paused and opened the door the rest of the way, gesturing Ryou inside. Just barely, as the door closed, the two men in the car could hear the woman, "I am so sorry but…" the door was closed and both figures sat back.

"When did Ryou learn to lie so well?"

Bakura looked over at the pharaoh, "You don't think he spent all that time with me and never learned anything did you?"

Yami studied the other, "I thought you lived by yourself on the Kaiba estate. I didn't know you stayed in contact with Ryou."

Deciding that casual conversation was okay for the time being Bakura answered, "I do, but Ryou has an apartment in town. I visit him there frequently."

Yami nodded knowingly, "Ah. I see."

Bakura scoffed, "Don't act so superior. You don't see much of anything." Both of them sat in silence for a time until Bakura felt the need to restore the status quo, "Just because I helped you, it doesn't mean that we're friends or anything so don't go getting any funny ideas. I just helped you so you would stop pissing off Ryou. He's a good lay when he's not mad at me and I don't want you screwing that up."

Yami gave him a steady look, "I understand." Bakura cursed inwardly. It sounded like the other really did understand. Crap, he didn't want the pharaoh to know how much he cared for his little light. It made him sound weak. Mushy even. Bakura shivered.

As if Yami read his thoughts, he continued to speak. "You have nothing to worry about. I see in you what I always have. You are a dangerous man, Bakura and no fool. Fools are only a danger to themselves."

Bakura squirmed. He really hated feeling like this. He didn't need to be friendly. As such he let scorn again color his words. "Why pharaoh, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. What were you smoking this morning," Bakura gave a fake start of recall, "Oops. Never mind. I remember exactly who you were doing this morning."

Yami was about to reply when Ryou walked back out, picture clutched in one hand. He slid back into the driver's seat. "Sorry guys. She didn't know anything specific. The most she could tell me was that this guy," Ryou held out a picture to Bakura, "used to visit her in the hospital. This is the guy she said her father negotiated with when setting up her marriage."

Bakura studied the picture before handing it over to Yami. "Well it's somewhere to start. I'll scan this into the computer and see what I can find on him."

Yami's voice was serious when he spoke, "This is him. This is the suit."

Bakura looked at him but Yami interrupted, "Yes, I am sure."

Ryou drove up to his apartment complex and got out. Bakura followed him while Yami stayed in the car. Bakura turned to glare at the window of the vehicle as he walked behind his light until Yami accommodated him by rolling the window up. Bakura turned back around to watch the enticing sway of the taunt bottom in front of him. They reached the door far to soon in his opinion.

Ryou swiveled lazily to face the other, body languid as he leaned into Bakura, "You know," Ryou directed a half lidded gaze at the other causing Bakura to smile, not smirk, "That was a really nice thing you did for Yami back there."

Bakura felt color stain his cheeks as he cleared his throat. "It wasn't anything special." Bakura grouched, "He was just making me angry, that's all."

Ryou smiled up at him sweetly while trailing a fingertip over the chest he was leaning into. Bakura gulped. "I know. I'm still really proud of you."

Bakura tilted his head cautiously, "So proud that your not angry with me anymore?"

Ryou's mouth settled into an alluring pout, "Maybe."

Bakura tried not to sound to hopeful when he continued, "Proud enough to sell this damn apartment and move in with me."

A wicked look, not to different from Bakura's own, slid across Ryou's face, "We'll have to see after your done helping Yami and Kaiba. Seeing you like this makes me…" Ryou leaned up and breathed in the other's ear eliciting a shudder, "miss you soooo much that I practically can't restrain myself."

Bakura rushed away towards his car, almost unbalancing Ryou in the process. He yanked open the car door and thrust a handful of money at Yami. "Here. Call a cab. I'll meet you at the mansion later. I need to do a little…undercover investigating."

Rushing back to Ryou, Bakura took the other's keys, unlocked the door and shoved his light inside. Turning to pin him to the door, Bakura growled, "Don't restrain yourself on my account."

Yami sat in the desk chair and stared at Kaiba's empty bed. He had been doing the same thing for the last three hours. The other was gone and he had left no note, the moon shown through the skylight above him. Yami was sad, worried and furious. Didn't the idiot know that people were trying to kill him? All he could do was wait for Kaiba's return and pray that the other wasn't hurt. Although he had tried, he could not feel where the other was. Apparently, Kaiba had learned how to block him. Damn frustrating, brilliant quick learner. What was he going to do about him?

At that moment, Bakura burst in the door to Kaiba's room, "I thought I might find you in here." Bakura looked around, "Where's Kaiba?" He was a little disappointed. He was hoping to catch the two doing the dirty. He even had his mini-digital on him.

Yami shook his head, his frustration evident, "I don't know. He went missing."

Bakura became serious, "That's not good." Bakura's lips tightened, "I know who the guy in the photo is."

Yami snorted, "You mean you actual managed to get a little investigation in."

Bakura just snarled, "Shut up you idiot. This is important. I found the connection between Kaiba Corp., Hydra Corp., the Orphanage, and Expire. The man's name is Mr. Hatahori. He was CEO of Hydra Corp. Now he's head of Expire. The money flow I couldn't track to any other organization but Kaiba Corp., you know, the stuff sent by the gorillas in South Africa. It went into this man's personal account."

Yami's eyes went wide.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: SetoxYami

Genre: Action, Romance

Spoilers: None of which I am aware.

Warning: Cussing

Disclaimer: Me no own...TT (Snuggles Seto plushie)

Summary: Memories long since forgotten have reemerged to haunt Seto. The world is suffering random and unimaginable attacks. Seto suspects his company is involved in weapons dealing and a Pharaoh is brought back to life for a limited time to stop a supernatural disaster and to save his undeclared love

Seto groaned while lazily flopping one arm over his eyes, the other dropping to scratch absently at the light smattering of hair trailing from belly button to groin. Both his head and his back were protesting his currently waking state. How is it possible to feel so crappy and so relaxed at the same time? He'd never had a hangover before, but he didn't think one could be any worse than this. Funny thing was, he couldn't remember drinking anything. Seto moved his arm and opened his eyes. Rolling to his side, he examined the clock hidden in the side of his nightstand. It was already late afternoon. He hadn't slept this late since he'd done that forty-nine hour work marathon before the launching of one of Kaiba Corps. new signature products. Sitting up, his mind slowly registered his state of undress. What the hell? Where were his pajamas? Thinking back, all he remembered was…

"Oh, shit." Seto groaned while collapsing to his bed only to arch up in pain as his back hit the mattress hard. What was he? Some kind of masochist. Seto let his mind flash through the events of the previous night only to wince when he remembered his final words. How pathetic could he be? Although he didn't really believe in all the magic mumbo jumbo the others were always spewing, he did believe Yami's statement that he wouldn't stay. Whatever excuse the other decided to give him, it didn't change the fact that Yami was leaving himself an opening, a way to leave him eventually. But then, he had known that already. Everyone always left. Even Mokuba would grow up and out of his need for a big brother one day. It was inevitable. Everyone always left. He also knew that it would hurt. It would hurt when Mokuba left and it was bound to hurt when Yami left. Only now it was worse. Now, he had let Yami past his barriers; he knew how good it felt to be with the other. Now, Yami's leaving would hurt him just as much as Mokuba's eventual abandonment. Now the pain would be even worse.

The most pathetic part, he couldn't even blame Yami. It was his own lack of control that resulted in the events of the previous night. In spite of all his efforts, all his obnoxious behavior, he hadn't been able to push Yami away and now, it was too late. He remembered what Yami had looked like, helpless, bound, and spread eagle before him, submitting to his every whim. Now that he knew what that was like, he could no longer act like he didn't want it.

Seto began to clench his fists. Damn the fates, and damn Yami's own will. Now that Seto knew what pleasure the other could give him, he was never going to let the other go. Yami had done it to himself when he'd submitted. Yami had tricked him into wanting him this much. He should have remembered that what a Kaiba wants, a Kaiba takes by any means necessary. It didn't matter that Yami might one day want to leave him. He wasn't going to let the other leave. Yami was his now, and if Yami thought he was going to leave, it was going to be over Seto's own cooling body.

Sitting up he noted that the ties had been returned to the curtains and the broken lamp and glass had been cleaned up. Yami's clothing was missing, but he wasn't surprised. He doubted that the other would wait idly around while Kaiba slept. Although, he wouldn't have slept this long if Yami hadn't drugged him. He needed to remember to punish Yami for that later. He couldn't track Yami down right away, however. He had missed hours of work already. He needed to clean up, check on his little brother, see what new information Bakura had, and check in on his company. It irked him that he only had half a day to accomplish all that.

Sliding off the bed, Kaiba started towards the bathroom, only to spot a note where the lamp used to sit. Picking it up, he read:

Deat Seto,

Bakura has found a lead in the investigation and we are pursing that lead now. Hopefully, I will be back before this evening. I know you won't listen to me, but take this time to rest and recover. You just got out of the hospital a few days ago. I am sorry to leave, but remember you are never alone. I am yours and I feel you even now. I always have and always will love you.

Yours,

Yami Noble

P. S. You were magnificent my dragon but I am sure you can do better. I'll be happy to help you practice in the future.

Seto felt a blush color his cheeks; practice indeed. As if that would distract him from the fact that Yami and Bakura bloody well took over the investigation of the people attacking his company. How dare they! Seto reread the note a couple times getting more irate each time. He feels me? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Seto thought back to some of the stories the other had been telling him, something about sensing his presence and being tied to his soul. Damn! With all the crazy stuff that had been going on, that might actually be true. If it was, he wondered if it could work both ways.

Cautiously, and feeling utterly ridiculous, Seto closed his eyes and concentrated on picturing Yami's face…. Nothing. Seto opened his eyes and glared at the note as if it had made him be foolish. Of course there had been nothing. This soul tied crap was utter hogwash. He didn't know why he felt that niggling bit of disappointment. It could have nothing to do with the fact that Seto wanted to see Yami right then, wanted to argue with him right then. It didn't really matter that he was mad at the other. He wanted to be mad face to face with Yami. He sighed and gave in to a minute of weakness; he allowed himself to indulge in his longing for the other's presence.

Suddenly, he could feel him. He was in a car, driving away, his mind preoccupied with something upsetting. What the hell? He concentrated, but couldn't make out what the other was thinking.

Seto paused. Yami was better at this metaphysical crap than he was. What if the other could tell what Seto was thinking. That was disturbing. Carefully, Seto imagined that his thoughts were enclosed in a safe, one like they had at the Swiss Trust and Funds. When he locked the safe, he could no longer feel the other. Hopefully, Yami could no longer feel him either. Seto was not really comfortable with the fact that the other might be able to feel him without Seto knowing. Better safe than sorry, no pun intended.

Seto dropped the letter when his cell phone rang. Looking around, he tried to use the sound to pinpoint his briefcase. There, it was on the far side of his desk. Walking over, he opened the case and removed his phone.

"Kaiba."

"Good afternoon, Kaiba Sir." A middle-age professional gave the customary emotionless greeting, "You told us to inform you right away when the boy woke up."

Kaiba's body came to attention, "He's awake? Has he said anything?"

"No sir. He just keeps asking about the number 17. The questions we ask are either ignored or the answers are confused and irrational. I think the boy may be in need of psychiatric treatment."

"Don't have him sent to a facility yet. I want to question him myself. I'll be at the west-side entrance to the hospital in," Kaiba looked at his watch, "forty-five minutes. You will let me in at that time and make sure that I can surpass all the security checks. Am I clear."

"Yes Mr. Kaiba. I'll see you at ten til seven sharp."

Kaiba hung up. He only had about fifteen minutes to get showered, dressed and to check on Mokuba. He walked to the closet and laid out one of his rarely used casual outfits. He didn't want to draw undue attention. That done, he went to his safe and removed his brand new PX4-Storm. Technically, it was only available to law enforcement, but he had contacts in both law enforcement and gun manufacturing. The only way to keep his own company out of the weapons business was to keep his finger on its pulse. That being said, he knew how to shot. He didn't like it, but he needed to see that kid. He would use a back holster. It wasn't a quick drawl but he was hoping like hell that he wouldn't need to defend himself and others. Not today and not ever. Not like this. Nevertheless, he had to be prepared for the worst now. Someone was out to kill him and Mokuba had already been hurt.

At ten til seven sharp, Seto walked in the west-side entrance of the hospital's Kaiba Corp. wing, a wing built for ailing children using funds Kaiba had raised at a charity auction years ago. Needless to say, he was greeted and walked around the metal detectors without any problem. As he walked down the hall, white yielded to black as the hospital staff and residents moved clear of his dark clad form. Despite his casual black jeans, t-shirt, and black leather duster, Seto still gave off an air of authority that kept others clear of his path. He stopped at a private room and turned to face his escort. "That's all. What's your beeper number?"

The doctor handed it over without question, "I may be in here for a while. I don't want to be disturbed by anyone. I'll page you when I want to leave. Understood." The doctor bowed politely and withdrew. Kaiba would have to remember that doctor. He liked him. He was efficient and he didn't fawn over him.

Turning, he entered the room. Across from the door was the boy who hunted him just a few days ago. Seto could barely believe it. The boy was recognizable, but just barely. His skin and hair were still dark but the hospital staff had cleaned him up. The child looked frail, undernourished and bone-weary. The child turned to face him, his movements oddly stiff and controlled for a child, that Seto recognized, was much younger than he had originally thought. The boy must be only five or six years old.

A high-pitched but emotionless voice broke into his examination, "Are you going to kill me?" It was oddly disturbing that an unbroken voice could ask that question.

Seto looked straight into the boy's eyes. Now that he saw them without the pupils dilated, he saw that they were an unusual shade of green…and they were old, far older than the boy's body. His tone when he had asked that question was detached, casual, and uninterested. The tone had just been wrong. Nonetheless, Seto refused to let down his guard.

"I should," was all he said while he walked to the other's bedside, choosing to stand. His height had intimidated many. It didn't seem to faze this child in the least however. Kaiba couldn't help but think, the boy had strength to be admired. "In the end, it depends on what you tell me."

The boy just continued to stare at him with his eerie gaze, "You shouldn't have come. I already partially broke their control. If you hadn't come, I could have stopped myself."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed, "Not come where? To the hospital, the factory?"

The boy just shook his head, "I didn't want to kill you. None of us want to kill. Why did you come?"

Kaiba could feel his head start to throb but he knew to keep his patience. He didn't think the boy was deliberately trying to frustrate him. The child was honestly trying to communicate. He just didn't seem very good at it, "Come where? You need to be clearer?"

"You came to the factory," the boy started to tear up, "I didn't want to do what they said. They hurt her. They hurt me. They hurt all of us. We don't want to listen to them. When I saw them give her to him, I lost control." The little boy seemed to get more and more agitated with each word. He started to rock his body back and forth. Seto pulled up a chair and sat down as the boy continued.

"I wanted to protect her and I couldn't. I was too weak. But I tired to not do what they said." The boy directed a pleading gaze at Seto, he eyes begging the other to understand. Seto sighed. He had a fatal weakness for children, especially needy, strong children that were in pain. Even the ones that tried to kill him.

Kaiba awkwardly took the young boys hand in his own and squeezed. There had to be a better way to do this. "I want to understand you but you have to tell me everything. I don't follow what your saying now. How about this? I'll ask you questions, you answer, and then I ask for clarification if I need any okay."

Kaiba watched the boy struggle with himself. He recognized the emotions chasing each other on the boy's face. The boy didn't know if he could trust. The boy didn't know how to trust. Seto went on, "I won't lie to you. What happens to you is dependent on what you can tell me. I will tell you this, however, if none of this is your fault, I will get the people who did this to you. Do you understand me?"

The boy's chin quivered a moment before he stoutly raised his head. He nodded and continued, "It is partly my fault though. Those people died because of me. They died because they hurt me and her and I couldn't take it anymore." He looked Seto in the face bravely and wiped his tears away defiantly. Seto couldn't stop his heart from melting a little. After all, he was not innocent himself and it was obvious that the boy was tortured.

"If I tell you what I know, will you really help the others, despite the fact that I am bad?" the question was tossed at Seto like an arrow.

Seto responded in an unusually gentle tone, "Are the others children like yourself?"

The boy nodded and swiped at his dripping nose.

"Then I will help them if they are in trouble." Seto assured the figure.

"All right." The boy sounded resolute, "I'll answer your questions then." Sniffling, "What do you want to know?"

Seto thought for a moment. He was going to begin this with an interrogation but now, he thought he should explore what the boy had said when he came in the door. The first priority is to figure out who the 'they' that's pulling the strings are. "Earlier you said that 'they' hurt 'her.' I need to know who 'they' are and who 'she' is?"

The boy's eyes softened for the barest moment and he almost seemed to brighten, "She's number 17. She's my best friend. We were raised together," the boys voice hardened, "by them."

"Number 17? What's her name?" Seto furrowed his brow.

The boy looked frustrated and put out. He spoke to Seto like a child does when they think an adult is being stupid, a mix of exaggerated exasperation and caution, "I just told you her name. It's 17."

Seto pursed his lips. He knew what he was going to hear in here was going to make him angry. He just didn't think it would start this early, "What's your name?"

The boy drew back at Seto's tone but was held in place by the grasp on his hand, "I'm sorry. I'm not angry with you. You just have to understand that I may be angry with some of the things you tell me. Numbers are not names."

The boy looked confused but matter of fact, "But we're all called by number. She's 17 and I'm 22. Number's 1 thru 15 have already been sold or they burned out during production and have been replaced."

Seto shook his head and fought to control himself, "Production? What do you mean production? And didn't you have names when you had parents?"

The boy just shook his head, "We're not good enough for parents. They told us so. Our parents hated us so they gave us to them. We've all been with them since…forever. Periodically, a new baby shows up…one that the parents didn't want. They get a new number. Sometimes they are given a number that one of the 'burn outs' had. When they get us, they raise us for a few years and then they start our treatment. The treatment that makes us worth selling."

Turning away, Seto regulated his features before asking another question, "Again, I need to know who 'they' are? And what is treatment?"

The boy shrugged, "I don't really know. They don't have names either. They're just the people who raised us. When we get old enough, they send us away from where we were raised and they treat us…injections and stuff. The injections let me call Gigi and Fufu. They're nice but 'they' make me do terrible things with them."

"Gigi and Fufu?" Seto raised an eyebrow, "I thought you said none of you had names?" Not that Gigi and Fufu were great names. Seto inwardly rolled his eyes.

"Ummmm." The boy looked down and squirmed in his bed, "Gigi and Fufu are friends too." The boy's voice was high and squeaky. "Ahhhh…they take care of me. They killed them for me."

Seto stared and the boys squirming increased until he almost fell off the bed. Meekly, the boy looked up at Seto through his eyelashes, "They really didn't want to kill you but I have to do what they say and Gigi and Fufu have to do what I say."

As realization struck, Seto jumped up and released the boys hands, "Gigi and Fufu are those damned monsters!"

The boy rolled up onto all fours and reached around to cling to Seto, almost as if he was afraid that the other would attack his absent friends, "Please Mr. Kaiba. It was my fault. They told me to kill you and I couldn't disobey the order. When they sold her, I broke their control but only partially. I was able to overwhelm the order that I could never harm them. Gigi and Fufu felt my anger and they moved to destroy the bad people. I don't know why I did it." The boy started to sob, "I was just so angry. I was angry at them for treating her like she was nothing. She was my best friend. I had to stop them from hurting her."

Seto stood still at the outpouring of the other's words, extremely conscious of the other's small, clinging fingers digging into his back through his duster, "Once Gigi and Fufu started killing the bad people, I couldn't make them stop. I was out of control. All I could remember was the pain they had caused me and the sight of them sending 17 away."

Calmly, coldly, Seto placed his hands on the small boy's shoulders and pressed him back until he was kneeling on the bed facing him. His voice harsh and precise, he ordered, "Wipe your eyes."

After a second, the boy complied and Seto continued along the same vein, "I already told you I would help. Enough hysterics. They displease me."

The boy responded with a shaky nod of his head.

Seto ordered, "Tell me why you ordered them to attack me. I am not one of your torturers."

The boy sniffed once and then looked down in shame, "That is what I was trying to tell you sir. I didn't want to tell Gigi and Fufu to do that. I just couldn't completely break their control over me. I was able to force myself to stay on the complex grounds. I planned on staying there until I burned out and died. I deliberately disobeyed the order to hunt you down and kill you. But you showed up. You came to me. Once I saw you, I had no choice but to follow their directives. They ordered me to kill you on sight. That was the strongest compulsion they put in me and I was too weak to disobey all their orders."

Seto released the boys shoulders and tipped the others chin up with a finger until watery green met haughty blue. "Do you want to kill me now?"

The boy shook his head, "No sir. I haven't had an injection in such a long time." The boy's eyes became impossibly sadder, "I don't have 17 and now I cannot call Gigi and Fufu either." The boy shook his head, as if to gain control of his emotions, "It's okay. They didn't want to come back again anyway. They told me that their being with me would burn me out. It would kill me…Gigi and Fufu said I should let them go once they finished killing the bad people but I wanted to die...and then you showed up and I was trapped by the compulsion to kill you."

Seto took a deep breath and then tried to summarize what he thought the boy was trying to tell him. "Let me get this straight. You and a bunch of other children have been raised by a group of people. You don't know who those people are. When you get old enough, they send you off to facilities where you are 'treated' to call monsters. They then implant suggestions slash compulsions in you that tell you how and where to use these monsters. A girlfriend of yours," the young boy blushed, "was sold in front of you and you got angry enough to break the compulsion that kept your keepers safe. You destroyed the facility and everyone in it in a fit of anger. Your main compulsion, however, was to kill me. I show up, and you couldn't resist the command." Seto stared hard at the boy, "Is that right?"

The boy shook his head rapidly in affirmation.

"Did you kill your girlfriend and the buyer?"

Again the boy blushed, "She's not my girlfriend! She's a friend." His outburst was followed by a more subdued tone, "And no. The seller and the buyer got away by helicopter. They took 17 with them."

Seto's interest was piqued, "Can you describe the buyer and the seller?"

The boy shook his head sadly in response, "No. Not really. I can't tell you what the seller looks like. He handles the business side of things and he doesn't interact with our keepers very often." The boy's voice piped up as he offered, "I can probably identify the buyer though…you know, if I saw him. I remember he had a Kaiba Corp. logo on his briefcase." The boy sat up straight, "I know that logo because they made me memorize it along with your face, you know, for when I was hunting you." Suddenly recognizing what he just said, the boy shrank back into himself.

"Sit up." Kaiba ordered, "I don't want to see you slouch like that again. From what I heard, you are blameless in your actions. You will act like it."

The boys looked at Kaiba in wonder, and asked meekly, "Really Sir."

Kaiba cracked a small smile as he returned to his seat and retook the boy's hand. "Yes. Really. Now tell me, can you describe the place where you were raised?"

The boy's brow furrowed in concentration. "I don't know what it looks like from the outside. The only time I was allowed out of the building was when they sent me to the place you found me. That time I was unconscious. Inside, it looked a lot like the place I was sent except that there was never any sunlight…no windows. I think, maybe, we were underground." He tilted his head to the side, "Every once in a while I could hear other children's voices, you know, happy children…and a train whistle in the evenings."

Seto made a snap decision. He reached under the boy's legs and behind his back, lifting his light body effortlessly in his arms. "We're going somewhere."

The child started as Seto strode quickly out of the room and past stunned hospital employees. Not too long into the trip, he stopped at another door. Opening it he walked in and gestured with his head that the boy should look at the sleeping occupant. "Is she one of the people you were raised with?"

The boy looked and practically deafened Seto, "17!"

"I thought that might be the case. Apparently, you weren't the only person programmed to kill me. And you saw the person who bought her." Seto looked down at the boy cradled in his arms and felt as if he was looking into a mirror…a mirror that had captured the emotions of his ten-year-old self. The boy's expression was a mask of protective determination and strength. Seto now knew, that this boy loved that girl with the strength that he loved Mokuba. These two children had suffered to a degree that few did and, still, this boy managed to be strong despite his own protestations. Again, he made an instantaneous decision.

"Is that girl still a danger to me and my brother?"

"Your brother?" the boy questioned before shaking his head, "Has she been here more than forty-eight hours?" At Seto's nod, the boy confirmed, "No, she's no danger. The drug should be out of her system by now. It has to be renewed on a regular basis. The high influx of drugs is part of the reason that we burn out eventually."

"If I take you somewhere and show you pictures of people who work for me, can you identify the man who bought her," Seto nodded towards the girl again.

Eagerly the boy confirmed, "Yup! I can do that. No problem."

Seto nodded his head, "Fine. You'll have to pick a name."

The boy looked confused, "Huh?"

Seto just continued without pause, "I'm cold, I work too much, I can be a real bastard, my best employee and my lover are insane and I'm gay. The two of you will have to mostly look after yourselves. Aside from the insane occupants of my household, I have a housekeeper that comes in twice and a groundskeeper that comes in once a week. Nevertheless, I will provide you with the best education and see to all your needs to the best of my ability. I have a little brother and he is a much nicer and a better person then myself. Do you have any problems with that?"

"Ah…No?" the boy looked at Kaiba like he was crazy. "Mr. Kaiba, what are you talking about?"

Seto just looked back, "Family call me Seto. You'll both need names and I'll leave there selection up to you. The legal arrangements should be made by the end of this week. I'll have your sister delivered to the mansion before the end of this evening."

"Mansion?" the boys voice was getting progressively squeakier.

Carefully Seto set the boy in the chair, and dialed the doctor on his pager. The doctor showed up minutes later, "You're ready to depart Mr. Kaiba Sir."

"Yes and I will be taking my son with me," the boys eyes widened impossibly, "Have my daughter delivered to the Kaiba Estate by the end of tonight." Seto nodded to indicate the girl on the bed behind him.

The doctor only stared for a moment, truly an admirable doctor, before adjusting to the situation. "As you say Sir. Come this way."

Seto picked the boy back up, "Do you know what you want to be called. A name is necessary before I can acquire any of the necessary paper work."

"Ahhh…but sir, I…I…how can you do this? The law..."

Seto cut the shakey words short, "You are a Kaiba now, and legalities be damned. The first thing you need to learn, as a Kaiba is that you don't follow the laws, you make them. Understand?"

"Yes Sir?" The boy's voice was uncertain.

"Just remember, you'll need to be strong if we're going to find the people who hurt your sister and my brother. As a Kaiba you must do anything necessary to protect what's yours. You do want to protect her at any cost don't you?"

"Yes Sir!" Kaiba smiled at the confidence that now rung in the young boys tone as he exited the building, new acquisition in hand.

Kaiba entered the mansion, again carrying the boy, only to have Yami burst into the foyer and confront him. "Where have you been! Don't you know that people are trying to kill you, you irresponsible idiot!"

Seto just continued by Yami and towards the couch in the informal den. Bakura looked up and noted the boy's presence at the same time Yami did. Simultaneously, they turned to face Seto with matching incredulous expressions. Seto ignored them as he set the boy on the couch.

Turning to face them, "This is my son. He needs a name. I have to put something back in the safe. I'll return shortly." Seto left the paralyzed figures of Yami and Bakura in the den as he strode out of the room and towards his bedroom.

"Uhhh…Hi?" the boy waggled his fingers in the general direction of Yami and Bakura.

Yami plopped heavily down into an overstuffed armchair and stared incredulously at the figure he fought to keep Seto from killing mere days ago.

"Damn. And I thought I would drop the biggest bombs today. Bloody priest, always has to outdo everyone." Bakura returned to tossing knives at a dartboard in the corner of the room, ignoring the one he had dropped due to the earlier announcement. "

The boy rose unsteadily to his feet, and approached Bakura, "Ummm…May I?" He bent down and retrieved the dropped knife. Looking up, he expertly flipped the knife so that he was holding the point. He threw it at the dartboard and struck the bullseye.

Bakura looked down at the kid and scowled. The kid stood unaffected. In a sarcastic, slightly impressed voice, Bakura sneered, "And we get to keep him? Oh goody."

"Well." Yami rose to his feet and walked steadily over to the other two, "The white-haired ass that just deigned to speak is Bakura, I'm Yami, and you don't have a name. I propose that we play a game with these knives and that dartboard. Winner gets to choose your name. Sound good?"

Bakura growled, while retrieving all his knives, "As if I want to choose a name." Regardless, he continued to set up the game.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: SetoxYami

Genre: Action, Romance

Spoilers: None of which I am aware.

Warning: Cussing, minor making out

Disclaimer: Me no own...TT (Snuggles Seto plushie)

Summary: Memories long since forgotten have reemerged to haunt Seto. The world is suffering random and unimaginable attacks. Seto suspects his company is involved in weapons dealing and a Pharaoh is brought back to life for a limited time to stop a supernatural disaster and to save his undeclared love

"She's Awake! She's Awake!" A small, dark body weaved around furniture and bodies, vibrating in excitement before settling in front of two seated figures. Grabbing one hand from each individual, he leaned his entire small body back and tried to pull the two seated people up only to bounce back and forth insistently as the adults remained seated.

"Seth, calm down. We'll be with you in a moment. Why don't you go spend some time with Bella before we get there? Prepare her for some of the questions that we'll have to ask her." Yami's deep voice rumbled, tinged with accents of suppressed good humor.

Seth tilted his head slightly to the side before bouncing from foot to foot, "Oh! Okay. I can go do that!" Looking to Seto and still bouncing with joy he asked, "I can tell her about her new name can't I?" At Seto's nod, the young child dropped both Yami's and Seto's hand, turned almost on point, and exited the room with hyperactive speed.

Bakura looked at the two seated in different chairs across from him, Seto in an armchair and Yami on the side of the couch closest to Seto. "Looks like you've made a new friend, pharaoh." Bakura turned a hard stare on Seto "Just remember, I am not babysitting."

"As if I would ask you to. I don't need two psychotic children sharing my last name. Aside from corrupting the boy, too much time with you would probably traumatize the poor girl for life." Seto scoffed, placing what was left of his morning coffee on the table beside him. Despite himself, he felt good that the boy had recovered so well with an additional night sleep. He had seemed so down and out, insisting that he sleep in the same room with the girl. Whereas yesterday, Seth seemed unsure of any of his new family, now he seemed confident that together they would beat up the bad guys and save the day. Seto suspected that Yami had given the boy one of his absurd pep talks but, regardless of its cause, Seto was grateful for the boy's improved state. After all, their ability to lift up depressed individuals was one of the reasons he originally allowed Mokuba to make friends with Yami and his crew.

Bakura just tilted his head, "Oh. Like you won't end up traumatizing them both anyway. If you ask me, you're headed for trouble with those two. I mean, just look at them. The kid named his sister beautiful. Talk about trotting the incest trail."

"Don't be any more perverted than necessary, sicko." Seto threw back, "They are only six or seven years old. They don't think like that." Seto continued in an easily audible whisper, "As if I would ask you about children, Freak."

"Hey, when I was a kid…"

Yami cut in, "Please spare us the details. I am sure neither of us want to know about your more questionable childhood exploits."

Bakura grumbled, "You never know Pharaoh. You might learn something from them."

Between arguments Yami, Bakura, and Seto had been seated in the den since six o'clock that morning going over what they knew and how the pieces could possibly fit together, a true act of determination and frustration seeing that they hadn't collapsed into their respective beds until after midnight. So far, some of the best puzzle masters in the world could still not reconstruct the whole picture. Something was still missing. They would have to question the girl.

Yami stood up, "We should go now. We don't know how long she'll stay awake."

"I agree." Seto also stood and the two moved towards the door. Turning back to Bakura, Seto asked, "Well? What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation."

Bakura snorted, "You want me to help you question a girl…a little girl? Are you crazy? The only thing I know to do with a female requires handcuffs and a locked room and she would have to be older. And I haven't even done any of _that_ with a woman since I widened my horizons to include men. How about you two go play dollies with pretty, pretty princess and I go compile files on the current Kaiba Corps. executives for the boy to look over."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow and ignored the earlier part of Bakura's statement, "That shouldn't take you more than thirty minutes."

Bakura just smirked, "I know. I wouldn't want to be mistaken for a hard worker. I have a reputation to maintain."

Kaiba scowled in return, "I assure you, your reputation as a slacker was never in any danger." He turned on his heals and stomped out of the room, slamming the door. Now he was in a wonderful mood to question a frightened child. As if their lack of success in solving this damn espionage bullshit wasn't enough to put him out. Damn, why did that stupid thief always have to piss him off.

Abruptly, Kaiba was shoved face first into the wall on his left, his body pinned by a smaller figure, arm pulled sharply behind his back. "What the fuck!"

"Seto." Yami leaned forward and whispered in his ear, gently nipping on the lobe before returning to speak again in a sharper tone, "That is the second time you've walked away from me in as many days. I am really getting a bit tired of that."

Seto's breath quickened as he felt the other release his arm only to push a compact body full-length against him. Instead of giving into the warmth produced by the other's breath and body however, Seto concentrated on the parts of his chest that smarted from harshly contacting the wall and the ache in his back from his partially healed wounds. Finding strength to resist desire in his discomfort, he snapped in an angry voice, "What do you think your doing? What are you talking about?"

Yami slowly dragged his tongue up the side of Kaiba's neck before answering. Seto, without thought, leaned his head to the back and side giving the other greater access. God that felt so good.

"The first time was when you walked right by me yesterday night, leaving Seth on the sofa and stomping off. And I had been so worried about you. That was very rude of you dragon." Yami returned to the base of Seto's neck and nipped lightly at the joint of neck and shoulder, "The second time was just now. You slammed the door in my face on your way out of the room." Yami gently raked blunt nails down Kaiba's side creating channels in the lightweight cotton-blend shirt. "If you keep upsetting me like this, I am going to have to penalize you."

Seto couldn't suppress a moan but he did manage to reverse the situation using his greater body mass. He was not going to be Yami's plaything. He was the dominant one in this relationship. He pushed off the wall and spun, neatly pinning Yami to the wall, arms braced on either side of the other figure, both of them now facing each other. "Don't think that one night of sex gives you any right to me. You're mine to use when and where I want. Not the other way around."

The pharaoh's eye's darkened to a bloody crimson, "Oh, really. I suppose you cuddled up to me like a teddy bear last night because I mean so little to you. Do you wrap yourself bodily around all your possessions?"

Color stained Seto's face, "I did not cuddle up to you. I do not cuddle."

Yami just smirked and used Seto's proximity to his advantage. Carefully he slid one leg between the slightly parted knees of his captor, thigh brushing inner thigh, a bare millimeter from…harder things. "That's funny because I remember very clearly being pinned by your arms and legs on either side of me. Similar to right now." Yami leaned all the way into Seto, again talking directly into his ear, "You want to know something really kinky?"

Seto fought to keep his eyes from shutting at the exotic, husky tone now being directed straight to his brain by the figure in front of him.

"You purr in your sleep my lovely dragon. A deep, contented, vibrating purr." Yami began to pant lightly, aiming his breath so that Seto could feel the action on the corner of his mouth. Slowly, Yami began to sway in a steady, erotic rhythm, each rock forward causing his thigh to barely brush the bulge in Seto's pants. "It practically drove me insane with desire...hearing you purr. I wanted to stroke every part of you to see if I could get more of that soft, vibrating sound. I wanted to see if stroking you would make you purr, hiss and arch like a cat in heat."

Seto leaned his forehead against the wall to the right side of Yami's head in an effort to control himself. Yami allowed a triumphant grin to curve his lips at the effect he had on the other, before continuing in an even deeper, throatier voice, "My dragon." Yami moved one hand to clutch Seto's hair, the other glided down the cloth covered back to grasp Seto's tight, clothed bottom. "Would you purr for me if I gave you some cream…some sweet, thick, luscious cream? I think you would. I think you would lap it all up with relish, pink tongue curling, eyes closed, back arched. I can't wait to see that cream coating your lips and chin, body languid and content, purr drifting softly through your lips."

Seto groaned loudly, head turning to the side so lips could nuzzle Yami's cheek. Almost absently, Seto allowed his lips to trail over Yami's brow, down the bridge of his nose, and to his lips before settling into a deep, tongue-thrusting kiss.

Yami moaned deep in his throat, indulging in the other's passion for a minute before gently pushing Seto back. Blankly, Seto blinked at Yami, who stepped passively around the stymied figure of his lover. "Come my dragon. Seth is waiting for us to go question his sister. We must not leave him dangling for to long." Yami turned and walked away from Seto, towards the children's room.

Seto was startled out of his dazed state by the sound of clapping.

Bakura, leaning casually in the den's threshold continued to clap, "Stellar performance priest. I must thank you for a wonderful morning of entertainment. I always love to see you assert your…dominance over your employees."

Seto's mind finally engaged and his eyebrows lowered to meet in the center, "Shut up Bakura and get to work."

Bakura just snickered as Seto turned and stomped away, "Lovely comeback priest. Your in top form today." Bakura watched the sensuous sway of Seto's hips until the slamming of the downstairs bathroom door blocked his view, "Top form indeed."

Seto entered what had once been his room to see both Seth and Bella kneeling on the bed staring intently at something situated between them. Seto started to announce his presence when the young girl jumped to her feet on the bed and giggled. "I win, Seth. I beat you fair and square."

Seto's attention was drawn to the side when he heard Yami congratulate her, "Very good Bella. That was an excellent strategy."

So that was it. Yami had come in and made up one of his idiotic little games for the children to play. Seto growled drawing the attention of the room's three occupants. He was still angry at Yami for his little trick earlier. Taking in all the figures he noticed the hesitant smile on Seth's face and the frozen look of terror on Bella's. Damn. He'd gone to all that trouble to calm down and one look at Yami caused him to scare the children anyway. He could practically read Bella's mind right now. He was sure she was in the 'just don't make a sound and stay perfectly still' mode. With that 'deer in the headlights' look maybe they should have named her Bambi. Grief. Just call him Seto, Terror of Children Ten and Under Everywhere. He met Yami's eyes only to see condemnation there. Inevitably, that put his back up. It wasn't his fault that Yami had pissed him off so much earlier that he couldn't stop himself from scowling. Yami should learn not to start things that he wasn't willing to finish…immediately.

With an exasperated sigh, Seto put his face in his hands, "Would you two stop looking like I'm going to eat you. If I were planning to do that, I would have brought the soy sauce. " Seto's comment managed to startle a giggle out of Seth and Seth's giggle managed to relax Bella…a little. Seto walked over to the bad and sat on the edge, right next to the chair in which Yami was situated.

Seto directed his attention towards Bella. He tried to soften his normal demeanor but if the look on the young girls face was any indication, he was failing horribly. Looking at her now, Seto's mind struggled to make the connection between the girl that had attacked his brother and the terrified girl he had made his daughter. Holy hell. What had he gotten himself into? Seto looked steadily at Seth who then climbed behind his sister on the bed and embraced her, "Don't worry Bella. This is the man who said he would help us. He understands and he promised he wouldn't blame us."

Bella leaned against her brother and craned her neck to look into his face. Seeing Seth's encouraging smile, she returned a shy one of her own before looking back at Seto.

Quietly she whispered, "You gonna keep us?"

Seto looked at a loss. Hadn't Seth already told her that. Geez, he had always been horrible with girls. Why couldn't he just let Seth ask her questions and then get the answers from him.

Seto was relieved when Yami leaned over and answered for him, "This man has said you are his and he always keeps his word. Don't worry, of all the men I know, this one takes the best care of what is his."

The little girl gave a brief smile before sitting up away from her brother. Tentatively she offered, "I know stuff that my brother," she giggled. Apparently the word brother was going to be novel for a while, "doesn't know."

Seto managed a small smile of encouragement, "Anything you could tell us would help."

The little girl just nodded then seemed to drop her head in contemplation, "Did I hurt your brother?"

Seto tensed and Yami reached over to place a hand on his shoulder. He was going to have to get used to these sudden changes in topic if kids were going to be around. He reminded himself to stay calm. Taking a deep breath. "No. You didn't. 'They' did."

The girl looked up at him in shy inquiry, "The people who controlled you are the people who did all this and I am going to punish them for it but I need your help to do that. Will you help me?"

Suddenly, a brilliant smile crossed the girls face, "You're going to help us!" She launched herself at Seto and clung to his neck. Seto blushed and looked at the amused face of his lover while patting the girl awkwardly on the back. Over the young girls head he mimed the word help at the room's other two occupants drawing another laugh from Seth and an arched eyebrow from Yami who just leaned back to enjoy the show. Seth apparently took pity on his new father, however, and went to retrieve his sister.

Bella now bouncing slightly on the bed let out an outpouring of words. Apparently Bella was a talker. "I can tell you lots of stuff. Oh. But first I need to tell you how to help your brother. Since I have a brother now I should help you help your brother. After all it is kinda my fault that he's hurt now, huh? You know that my monster is a snake right? My monster is not like Seth's," another giggle. Apparently their new names were funny too. "My monster was a meanie. He used to use his poison to hurt me all the time. Yup. So they had to create an antidote for me to be any good. Oh, the monster never killed me cause he needed me to live but he was such a butt-head. He wanted control and I couldn't give it to him so he was mean, mean, mean. But because he was such a dumb-dumb, I now have an immuny…inumy…immunity, that's it. I have immunity to him. So now you can use my any bodies to make an any dote." Seth's hand gently covered his sister's still moving mouth.

"See. I told you my sister would be useful," Seth offered.

Seto stood up as his mind caught up with the torrent, "We can make an antidote using your antibodies?"

The girl looked at him in exasperation, "That's what I said isn't it." Suddenly she squealed as Seto picked her up and threw her in the air only to catch and hug her moments later. "Thank You, Thank You." He mumbled into the girl's hair before coming to his senses. Quickly he placed the girl back on the bed and self-consciously straightened his shirt. He scowled at Yami who was hiding a belly laugh behind a fist.

This time the girl didn't cower at the site of Seto's glare. This time she burst out in laughter, her face glowing. "You're a funny man. I like you." Seto huffed. At this point he wasn't sure that his life was getting any better. Now he had a six/seven year old girl that liked him. Great.

"Ummm" the girl stopped laughing and tried to get Seto's attention away from the nice guy who played games with her and her brother, "Do you want to know more stuff?"

Seto shook his head in disbelief. He almost forgot to keep interrogating her in his excitement. Yes, he could now save Mokuba sooner than he had thought, but that didn't eliminate the looming threat. What was becoming of his once extremely organized mind? "Yes. Please." Seto sat back down on the bed.

The girl leaned forward and Seto could tell he was in store for another outpouring, "Okay. Where to begin? I guess you know about where we were raised because 22," giggle, "I mean Seth knows all about that. Welllll." The girl put a finger to her chin and pondered for all of a split second, "I guess I can begin with my programming since that is what eventually got me here. Well, kinda. You see originally Seth was programmed to kill you and I was programmed to be sold to a fighting group in some other country but then, when this rich looking guy sold me to this other rich looking guy named Mr. Sho. Wait I don't know the name of the guy who sold me. Anyway, Mr. Sho bought me."

Kaiba broke in, "Mr. Sho? Did he have an unusually sharp cleft in his chin. He's looks somewhat like a drowned rat?"

The girl looked up at him with surprise, "Yah! How did you know that?" A look of wonder crossed her face, "Are you psychic?" Another of Yami's laughs received a glare.

"No." Seto's eyes narrowed.

"Hey Mr. Seto…I can call you Mr. Seto right? My brother said I could. Well anyway. Mr. Seto, do you have something wrong with your eyes because you're always squinting. Maybe you should see a doctor bout that." More laughter received more squinting.

"No." Seto winced and braced himself, "You left off with Mr. Sho having bought you."

"Oh ya. Well, Mr. Sho bought me and…well he didn't really buy me. He was the man that was supposed to deliver me to the fighting people in, ahhhh…South Africa. That's it. He was supposed to deliver me to South Africa but then Seth got mad and destroyed stuff. I wish my monster liked me than I could have broken their control too but my monster was a meanie. Anyway…"

This time it was Yami that displayed the bravery to stop the flood, "You keep saying 'your monster.' Are you saying you can only call one kind of monster?"

"Well duh. Didn't Seth tell you that?" The little girl turned to glare at her brother who only shrugged.

"I have two, but Gigi and Fufu came as a set."

Seto looked at Yami, "Is that important?"

Yami returned the look, the weight of his considerable knowledge behind the gaze, "I think so. In most cases, if a person can only call one monster, that monster is tied to their soul. It's their soul monster."

"And that means what exactly." Seto couldn't prevent skepticism from coloring his words.

Yami's lips pursed, "Nothing at the moment. We need to know more."

Meanwhile the children on the bed had been looking back and forth between the two figures. When both adults returned their attention to the children on the bed, Bella started right back on her soliloquy as if she had never stopped. "Okay. So, my monster is a meanie and it wouldn't help me rebel. But, you know what? Because my monster was so mean to me, I developed immune…ummmm…drugs don't work on me. So when they move me around and try to make me so I can't understand them, I can. But I pretend like I can't. That way I can listen. And one time, when they didn't know I was listening, I heard Mr. Sho say that once Seto Kaiba, that would be you," the little girl pointed at Seto, "was out of the way, Kaiba Corp could officially go back into the weapons business and the partnership between Expire and Kaiba Corp. that started back when Kaiba Corp. was run by some Hobo Bozo guy, could be above ground…whatever that means. Anyways…"

"Stop." Seto's voice was rough and abrupt. "Did they say Gozoboro?"

The girl rolled her eyes up as if that would help her think and then she giggled, "Oh ya. That's what they said. Back when Gozoboro ran Kaiba Corp., Expire and Kaiba Corp. had a partnership. Why? Did you know him?"

Both Yami and Kaiba's eyes met. Seto began to recount what they knew, "Gozoboro was in the headmaster's office, all those years ago. His visit wasn't just to get an heir. It was probably also a cover to hide the fact that some of the children were going missing." Seto put his head in his hands. How did he miss that. Gozoboro was always smoking those damn cigars. The only time Kaiba had seen him without one was when he had thrown his own damn ass out the window. Millions of smoke filled memories flashed through his mind. Memories of him being whipped with smoke drifting by his head. Memories of him studying with smoke drifting by his head. Of course Gozoboro was there. It had already been obvious that Kaiba Corp was involved somehow and Gozoboro would never have let anything go down without him knowing about it. "Mr. Sho was not an executive back then. He was one of my father's head lawyers. He was in on all my father's main dealings. Damn, why didn't I see this."

Yami continued, "So back then, Gozoboro, his lawyer Mr. Sho, Mr. Hatahori who we've identified as former CEO of Hydra Corp. and current head of Expire, Mr. Wilton, Margaret, and some lab coat that worked for Mr. Hatahori all made a deal. That is what started all this."

"Sounds like it." Seto met the worried eyes of the two children on the bed and tried to reassure them, "Don't worry. You're telling us a lot. Please, if you know more, don't stop now."

"Okay," Bella's voice was a little more subdued, slower, "Ummm. I stayed with Mr. Sho for a while. About a day or so when a man showed up, I guess to take me to South Africa. The man, I don't know his name, said something about Hydra and Kaiba Corp. having received some kind of payment for me and that I should be handed over but Mr. Sho said there had been a change of plans. He said something about you being a problem Mr. Seto. He said he needed to keep me in reserve to get rid of you if there original plans didn't work. The man was mad and said that it didn't take one of us," she gestured to herself and her brother, "to get rid of one man. He said that he would get rid of you and that then Mr. Sho had better hand me over. Ummm…something must have gone wrong because the next thing I knew, I was being reprogrammed to kill you. It was kinda sloppy reprogramming though."

Seto voice dark and full of anger broke in, "Hence the reason you attacked Mokuba instead of me. Don't cower." Seto ordered, "I already said I am not angry at you."

"Yes Mr. Seto." The girl whimpered a bit.

Seto softened his expression to the best of his abilities, "Just call me Seto, okay."

She gave a watery smile, "Okay. I think that's all I know anyways."

Seto nodded, "That's plenty for now. It's been a long morning. Why don't you two take a nap?"

A knock on the door was followed by the immediate entry of Bakura. Seth bent down and whispered in his sister's ear, "That's the crazy one I was telling you about." The girl's wide eyes stayed fixed on Bakura as he strode across the room.

"What is it?" Seto asked and Bakura handed him a file.

"The pictures of all the executives in your company as well as Mr. Hatahori are in there. Don't expect me to do anything else for the rest of the day." Bakura turned and was about to leave when the girl tentatively touched his arm, "Hi. I'm Bella."

Bakura's nose wrinkled in disgust as he looked at Seto, "It touched me. Tell it not to touch me."

Yami towards Bakura and picked Bella up, "Don't touch him dear. What he has, it's contagious."

Bakura snorted and walked out of the room to the sound of Kaiba's order, "Meet us in the den in ten minutes. I think we might be able to start putting this puzzle together."

Intrigued but determined to be defiant, Bakura replied, "I'll see to it I'm there in an hour."

Kaiba looked at Yami as he placed Bella back on the bed. Now facing the two children he asked, "How about I ask you a few more questions and then we all go out to get lunch? You two can take a nap later."

The kids bounced up and down on the bed enthusiastically, "You're taking us out to eat? Isn't that cool Seth. I've never gone out to eat before."

Seto nodded, "Just for a bite and then I want you to talk to a doctor. One that can use your antibodies to make the antidote for my brother." Before Seth could protest, "And Seth will stay with you. I'll give you my cell phone number so if the doctor does anything you don't like, you can call me. Remember, you're a Kaiba now and all we really have are each other. Okay?"

Both Seth and Bella nodded in agreement.

Yami just raised an eyebrow and questioned, "What about the meeting?"

Seto smirked, "I really wasn't planning on having it for another hour and a half. I need to get my thoughts together."

Yami laughed and the two children giggled.

Seto continued to flip through the file until he found a particular picture. He turned the photo so both Bella and Seth could see it. "Do you recognize this man?"

Seth did an amazing imitation of Seto's growl, "I think that's him…That's the man that bought Bella."

Bella craned to look at the picture, "Hey. That's Mr. Sho."

Seto nodded and returned the photo to the file pulling out a picture of the orphanage. "Do you recognize this place?" Seth nodded no but Bella gave an enthusiastic affirmation. "Yup! But I don't think I was supposed to."

Seth looked at his sister, questions in his eyes. Turning to face her brother, Bella answered his unspoken inquiries, "You remember when they put us to sleep and sent us away to the new lab."

Seth nodded.

"Well, I wasn't asleep. I was just pretending. Tranqs. don't work on me either. That's the place we grew up in."

Seth just shook his head, "That's impossible. That place has windows. The place we lived in didn't have any."

"Of course silly. Geez. Boys." Bella rolled her eyes. "You remember that elevator, the one we were never allowed to go on."

Seth nodded.

"That elevator took us up to that place when we were sent away. We lived underneath that place."

Seto looked at Bella and then Seth, "Seth, you once said that you could hear children's voices and a train whistle at night when you lived in the facility where they raised you."

"Yah. That's right."

"Well, the tracks pass by that orphanage and there is a regular train that takes that route every night at 21:00 hours. Does that sound about right."

"I guess so. I'm not to good at telling time. It was pretty late though."

Seto slammed a clenched fist into the bedpost, "Damn, all this time and they've been abusing children right under our noses."

Yami moved to reassure him, "Calm down. You're startling the children."

"It's okay Mr. I think we're getting used to it." Bella leaned over the side of the bed to recover something that dropped out of the folder. "Here Mr., I mean Seto. You dropped something." Bella moved to hand the picture to Seto only to stop, "Oh. Look. It's the man who handed me over to Mr. Sho."

Seto snatched the picture from her fingers earning him a glare from Yami, "Are you sure this is him."

The girl nodded.

Seto pursed his lips. "Look Yami. It's Mr. Hatahori."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: SetoxYami

Genre: Action, Romance

Spoilers: None of which I am aware.

Warning: Cussing

Disclaimer: Me no own...TT

"Hey Set baby. Waz up?" Bakura aimed a giddy smile in the direction of the two entering figures.

Yami raised an eyebrow and Seto snorted, "You're drunk."

"Way to state the tru-lo boss-man. You were a little late so I thought I would try out your wet bar." Seto's eyebrows imitated Yami's as Bakura actually giggled.

"Tru-lo? It looks like you kept trying his wet bar for some time. How much exactly did you have to drink?" Yami asked.

"Idunno." Bakura's response was slurred and barely intelligible. "I hadda try a lil' of evrything. One bottle of Vodka, tequila, rum, grenadine, goldschlagger, sweet and sour…"

"Idiot. That's enough. What kind of help will you be now?' Seto scowled. "Wait. You drank sweet and sour without mixing it with anything? He shook his head, "Never mind. I don't care. Follow me."

"Sur thing boss-man. I could walk behind your behind all the livin long day." Bakura started to laugh as if he had said something clever. Yami glared and Bakura fell on his butt and kept laughing. "Lookie Set baby. Yami-kins is possessive of your butt." He leaned towards Yami in a conspiratorial manner and whispered loudly, "You an ass-man huh. I can understand that. Seto is one sweet piece of ass on some kick-ass long legs. Ha. Ass on kick ass. I kill me. Hey, Yami." Bakura rolled shakily from butt to knees. "Show me a lil' Seto lovin. I wanna see you spank him good."

Seto ground his teeth as he walked over to his delinquent employee. "Idiot, imbecile, incompetent, irreverent, moronic…" the tall figure continued to mumble as he dragged Bakura by his hair outside the building and into the back yard.

"Hey! Respect the coif dumbass." Bakura whined, limbs flailing in an ineffective attempt at stopping the other from pulling him bodily from the room.

Reaching the outdoors, Seto continued to pull on the ex-thief until they were standing on the bridge that separated his Jacuzzi from his pool. Methodically, Seto removed his long, blue trench coat and addressed the amused former spirit that had been following, "Yami, hand me that buoy cord."

Anxious to see what Seto had planned for Bakura, he complied. Seto securely tied the cord under Bakura's armpits as the other protested and batted humorously at the CEO's head. Finally finished. Seto pushed the figure over the side of the bridge and into the hot tub.

Clothing soaked, Bakura sputtered, "Hey, waddaya think ya doin. Bastardo."

Ignoring the others words, Seto placed his foot on Bakura's head and shoved him under much to the amusement of Yami.

Resurfacing, Bakura continued to cuss. "Shit. You bastard Shithole."

"A bastard shithole am I." Seto smirked, "Not yet." On that note, he used the cord to yank the inebriated figure out of the hot tub only to drag him into the much colder pool.

The extreme temperature change caused Bakura to gasp and weeze, every part of his body protesting. "Holy freeking gods and goddesses!" Bakura scrambled for the side of the pool where he violently lost his intake of the last hour to the accompaniment of Yami's riotous laughter.

"Are you doing better or do I need to put you back into the hot tub again?"

"Bastard!" Bakura quietly snarled while trying not to lay his head in vomit.

Seto yanked the cord causing Bakura go under again, "What did you say?" The false politeness in Seto's voice was thicker than molasses.

Finally stabilizing on the surface, Bakura yelled, "I said give me a minute!" He winced sharply at the noise. Simultaneously he wrinkled his nose in disgust at the vomit coating his arm and tried to glare the laughing pharaoh to death. In his mad dash to the surface, Bakura had reached over the pools side without looking. If the amused looks on Yami's and the bastard's faces were any indication, he should never glare and wrinkle his nose at the same time. Damn, he hated when a high was so rudely interrupted. Now everything was just spinning and he felt like shit.

Bakura felt so bad that he hardly reacted when a hand reached down and grabbed the back of his shirt to haul him onto land…and into stuff. Crap. Gross. "You had better clean up and try to make yourself presentable if your going to be any help to us." Bakura winced again. Those arrogant tones could belong to only one person. "Come on. I'll help you."

"Don't bother." Seto snapped. "I'll have one of his underlings take care of him. After all, part of what I pay them for is to put up with his adolescent crap. I'll meet you both in my computer lab in an hour." Seto turned a cold voice on Bakura, "And this time, I mean in thirty minutes."

Bakura winced a third time under the weight of the ice cold words and tried like the very devil not to hear the loud footsteps moving away from him. He was already humiliated and he wasn't looking forward to being more so in front of his underlings.

"Come on Bakura." He felt his filthy shirt being pulled over his head and his arm being thrown over wiry shoulders. "If you want to be in your room by the time your staff comes, you had best get moving." Grateful and unwilling to show it, Bakura allowed the pharaoh to help him to his room where he would force himself to take a shower. Today was going to be a long day.

Exactly thirty minutes later, Yami entered the computer lab trailed by a grumbling but clean and dry Bakura. He figured that if they had taken the hour, Seto would have been even madder. In the middle of the room was a device, similar to the portable holographic devices Kaiba marketed for the duel monsters game. Kaiba had his back to the door as the others walked in. "Take a seat. We'll begin in a moment."

Silently, Yami and Bakura moved to chairs surrounding the device. Bakura collapsed and Yami sat gracefully. Yami noticed Seto feeding paper to the computer consol before he turned in his rolling chair to join the rest of them. "I have just completed feeding the information that we've compiled into a recently developed analytical program."

"Recently developed?" Yami questioned.

"Yes. As in I developed it just now in an effort to help us figure out this problem. It's really only an adaptation of a previously developed program."

Yami smiled approvingly at Seto. "Really? I'm impressed." Seto blushed and attempted to not look flattered. He failed horribly.

Bakura groaned and bowed his head to sip the coffee-like sludge he was gripping tightly between both hands, "Don't tell me I sobered up to hear you two slobber all over each other. And here I thought I was done puking."

Seto glared, "Enough of the small talk. We've already wasted enough time this afternoon."

Bakura just glared back, "Damn workaholic."

Seto decided to ignore the thief in the interest of progress. "All right. Here is what we have so far. Here is Setting A, the headmaster's office." Seto pushed a button and the device clicked on. Yami's eyes opened in wonder as he examined the holographic approximation of the room from Seto's dream. The hologram was an exact replication of the room except that now he could see everything. The walls looked transparent and the objects in the room looked solid. Even Bakura perked up and looked as interested as a person with a hangover could. Backed up to one transparent wall were two three-dimensional solid black figures. They looked like 3-D silhouettes. Behind a desk across from the two silhouettes stood the hologram of Mr. Wilton, the headmaster. In front of the head master stood a figure where the back was distinct but the face was indistinguishable. That figure was petting what looked like a giant spider. Behind the spider stood the figure of a little girl and behind the girl stood the figure of a mousy looking man in a lab coat.

Bakura's blood shot eyes examined the scene. "So this was your dream huh? Brutal."

"Yes." Seto confirmed, "This is my memory from when I was ten."

"Moving on," Seto pushed another button and a second hologram popped up next to the first. "Here is Setting B. This is the room in Kaiba Corp.'s ex-weapons lab where Bella was sold. After talking with her, I looked up our old records on the building and was able to get a security recording that showed us exactly what the room looked like before I shut it down. For simplicities sake, I assumed that the facility's offices, aside from the labs used for experimentation," Seto's face scrunched in distaste, "have not changed much since then." In this room Yami saw Bella, and two 3-D silhouettes. Outside the holographic room, he saw Seth crouching by the window.

"Now we add in what we know. First thing we know is that Hydra, Kaiba Corp, and the Orphanage were all connected by a massive donation about the time that this memory took place." Kaiba started.

"That's right." Bakura cut in, "Kaiba Corp. and Hydra which is now Expire, sent money to the orphanage. Some of that money went to treat the headmaster's daughter."

Yami nodded, "In the dream, we found out that the orphanage's headmaster, Mr. Wilton made a deal with two company representatives or heads. That deal was he would sell out the children with whose care he was charged in return for enough money to treat his daughter."

"Correct." Seto continued, "And I know my step-father. If Kaiba Corp. was the company to pay, at least partially, for the Samantha Wilton's hospital bills and this was part of a business agreement, my adoptive father was in that room. The bastard never used representatives to take care of major business dealings. He wasn't known for being a trusting individual. "

"Understandable seeing that he was taken down by the person closest to him." The glares sent at Bakura from Seto and Yami were one step from killing him, "Grief. Take your Prozac pills you two. I was just stating what happened." Deciding it would be a good idea to put everyone back on track, Bakura picked up with the previous conversation. "So you think one of the invisible people in the room was Gozoboro?"

"Yes. The cigar smoker, as you liked to call him, was my adoptive father. I am sure of it." Seto growled partly in response to his adoptive father's name and partly in anger from Bakura's statement. Taking a calming breath, he pursed his lips and pushed a button. One of the silhouettes in Setting A filled in with color until a life-like miniature of Gozoboro stood in the room. "I also think he had one of his most trusted lawyers with him. At that time, a Mr. Sho was in favor with my father, a fact that I overlooked when firing my father's previous staff. At that time, Mr. Sho looked clean. I should have known better. No one who worked with my father was clean."

Yami looked at the self-recrimination on Seto's face and decided now was not the time to deal with it. Instead he asked, "You think it was Mr. Sho in the room back then?"

"I don't know." Seto shook his head, "But I suspect that it was. How many people in my company can really be involved in something this off the wall? A couple powerful traitors may slip past me from time to time but, due to past betrayals, I keep pretty tight surveillance on all the powerful people who serve me."

"And you think its Mr. Sho in the room with Gozoboro because Bella identified him as the man who picked her up?"

"Think about it Yami." Seto leaned towards the other, "Bella saw Mr. Sho talking to someone we know is another major player in this crazy scenario."

"All right. I am willing to concede the possibility that Mr. Sho was one of the unseen men in the room." Yami stated before reaching over to Seto, "May I?"

Seto quirked an eyebrow but handed over the device in his hand. "It's the purple button."

"Ah." Yami depressed the purple button and one of the figures in Setting A and one of the figures in Setting B lit up. Both figures gradually filled in until they looked like the same man, Mr. Sho."

"Wait, I'm lost." Bakura broke in.

"And this is a new thing?" Yami stopped him.

"Shut up pharaoh. I wasn't with you when you interviewed the latest brat."

"And whose fault was that?" Seto interrupted.

"What is this? Gang up on Bakura in a twisted game of twenty questions day. Gods! Fuck both of you. I hope Expire succeeds in killing you both."

Yami was quick to retort. "An occurrence that would result in the eventual breaking of the barrier between the mortal world and the shadow world. How long would you get to keep your body then?"

Bakura just stuck out his tongue and crossed his arms over his chest.

"And I pay you money." Seto sighed. "Whatever. What you hadn't heard was that Bella identified Mr. Sho as one of the people involved in the dealings between Kaiba Corp. and Expire. He was also the man that programmed her to kill me."

"Really? I'm starting to like him already." Bakura growled but he did lean forward to continue his examination of the holographic scenes. "So that just leaves one blank person in Settings A, the headmasters office and Setting B, the weapons factory office."

"That's right." Yami confirmed, "And it was our investigation that places the CEO of Expire in the headmaster's office and Bella that places the same man in the weapons factory."

Bakura raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Hatahori was in the weapons factory?"

"Yes." Seto confirmed, "Bella informed us that he was the person handing her over to Mr. Sho."

"Now that is interesting. Give that damn thing pharaoh." Yami raised both eyebrows but complied. "Do I need to push them all?"

Seto was exasperated, "It's the yellow button."

"Figures. I hate yellow." Bakura pushed the button and Mr. Hatahori appeared in Settings A and B. "So this is what we have so far. Mr. Hatahori, former CEO of Hydra and current CEO of Expire made a deal with Kaiba Corp., i.e. Gozoboro, and Mr. Wilton, headmaster of Seto's childhood home years ago. In on the deal was a Kaiba Corp. lawyer, Mr. Sho and an unknown lab rat that worked for Mr. Hatahori. Just over a week or so ago, Mr. Sho and Mr. Hatahori met at a supposedly closed weapons plant from Gozoboro's days as lead man in Kaiba Corp to sell a monster-calling little girl. Is that right?"

"That's correct, but there is more." Seto confirmed.

Bakura scoffed, "And the fun just keeps multiplying."

"Shut up Bakura." Seto threw out casually, "I know where the rest of the donation money sent to the orphanage really went."

"You could track the money?" Bakura couldn't believe it. Kaiba tracked the cash flow when he couldn't.

"Of course you fool. I took the time to gather all the clues." Kaiba looked down his nose at the other. "Bella told us that her and Seth were raised under the orphanage. At some time, they built a facility underneath the orphanage. They must have done it right after I was adopted. They could have used the renovations as a cover."

"Asshole. My job wasn't to track the money flow. It was to try to find the people who tried to kill you." Bakura pouted.

"They are one and the same you idiot."

Yami broke in before the two could start arguing in earnest. "I'll create a scenario and you tell me if you think it's plausible. Years ago, in the headmaster's office, Gozoboro, Mr. Wilton, Mr. Hatahori, Mr. Sho, and an anonymous lab rat that is probably dead if he was in the facility Seth destroyed, made an agreement. They agreed that Mr. Wilton would alter records in the orphanage so that children could disappear into Hydra/Expire experiment labs. Kaiba Corp. agreed to be a financier and marketer of the weapons that Expire would design. They were also responsible for providing Expire with facilities in which they could work. Once the deal was sealed, Gozoboro and Hatahori donated large sums of money to the orphanage allegedly for renovations. In reality, the money went to build a facility underneath the orphanage and to pay off Mr. Wilton by taking care of his daughter. To hype positive publicity, Mr. Hatahori used to visit the sick little girl to whose recovery he donated money. During that time, Samantha Niwa, the headmaster's now married daughter, took the picture that she showed Ryou during questioning. The same picture I recognized as being one of the men in Seto's dream. The same picture Bakura found to be Mr. Hatahori, CEO of Expire. The facility under the orphanage made the transfer and theft of infant children easy. It also provided a facility where the children could be raised and programmed easily. Weapons construction began and Hydra Corp. supposedly went bankrupt. In reality, they went underground and become the assassin's organization called Expire. Mass production, however, takes some time since they are trying to raise the children from infancy. Meanwhile, Seto takes over his father's company and fires all staff that dealt with weapons production. He gives orders to destroy remote facilities and alter close facilities so that they could start making gaming consoles and equipment. The shady deal made with Expire goes south due to Seto's stance on weaponry."

"Of course that is what leads to the current situation." Seto breaks in, "As usual, someone has the audacity to try to take my company away from me for their own damn uses. Expire must have tried to make contact with someone in Kaiba Corp. The loss of all the weapons facilities Gozoboro was probably lending them would have been a huge blow regardless of their ability to generate capital with their pathetic little assassination attempts. They would have tried to contact someone they know. We know from what Bella said that Mr. Sho is in contact with Expire. Therefore, it is likely that they knew him. Most likely they knew him because he was the lawyer with Gozoboro in the headmasters office."

Bakura was tired of listening so he took his turn, "So, Expire contacted Mr. Sho who decided to help them out by giving them access to shut-down facilities which he doubtlessly saved from destruction. Steadily, he's been siphoning funds from Kaiba Corp. to the facilities for operation and supply costs. Unfortunately for them, Kaiba is a pain-in-the-ass to everyone around him." Seto glared at Bakura but didn't interrupt, "Mr. Sho decided that Kaiba had to go. Expire doubtless agreed since it would be easier for them to do business with you gone. It must be hard to market children with you around."

Seto took back over, "Hard but not impossible apparently. Seth mentioned that numbers 1-15 had been sold to gorilla groups around the world, hence our rather colorful newscasts lately."

"Colorful newscasts?" Yami questioned.

Bakura snorted, "So much for your ability to keep up with politics. And to think, you actual led a country once. Oh wait. No you didn't. You just died."

"Do you want to lose your body right now Bakura?"

"You wouldn't dare" But just in case the pharaoh did dare, Bakura started to contribute again, "South Africa, Brazil, Iraq…dozens of countries have been experiencing odd attacks. I always knew it sounded a little like shadow creatures were participating in mini-shadow wars all over the world. I just thought I was being fanciful. Apparently not."

"Fanciful is not a word I would use to describe you. Then again, most words I use to describe you are banned in polite company." Seto threw at the thief.

"That shouldn't stop you then. Since you can't escape yourself, you are never in polite company." Bakura replied.

Seto just returned, "I am not the worst person I haven't been able to escape from thief. Now back to the subject at hand. On my trip to the weapons factory, the one where you bumped into me again," Seto suppressed his blush at Yami and Bakura's frighteningly similar smirks. God, it must be an Egyptian thing…they all probably attended a smirking school. Yami and Bakura were probably at the top of the class. Clearing his throat he continued, "Yes. On the way to the factory, I heard a broadcast about giant insects attacking a plant in South Africa. Bella told us that she was being sold to South Africa to replace someone who had or was in the process of 'burning out.' I think Bella was being sold to that group. She also remembers them talking about an old business deal between Kaiba Corp and Expire. Apparently I was a hindrance to the continuance of that agreement."

"See. He's a pain in the ass to everyone." Bakura pointed out in an out-of-place reasonable tone.

Seto just continued, "Mr. Sho picked up Bella and talked to Mr. Hatahori about killing me. Mr. Hatahori, however, had already been busy plotting to get rid of me. In that vein, he programmed Seth. Unfortunately for them, the site of Bella being given to Mr. Sho was enough for Seth to break their control. Seth destroyed the facility in Egypt but he was unable to save Bella. Instead, Mr. Hatahori, Mr. Sho, and Bella escaped by helicopter."

Yami picked up the narrative, "From here, we have no clues concerning Mr. Hatahori's location. We do know that Mr. Sho returns to Kaiba Corp. While there, he meets with the person who is supposed to buy Bella. With the factory in Egypt destroyed and Seth out of control, Mr. Sho reneges. He feels he needs to keep the girl in reserve, in case of an emergency. The gorilla group is upset because they already paid Mr. Sho for the girl."

"Wait a minute. I am beginning to see this." Bakura broke in almost anxious to contribute now. He, like the others in the group, was almost irresistibly drawn to puzzles and games of any sort. It was possibly the only thing that bound them all. "The payment that went from the gorilla group that tried to assassinate Kaiba, the same damn one that disappeared into Kaiba Corp. and Mr. Hatahori's bank accounts, that payment was for Bella, right? And the person who received the money in Kaiba Corp. is Mr. Sho, right?"

Seto answered, "We have yet to look into all of Mr. Sho's accounts but the computer should complete that search in no time. I am positive that Mr. Sho is the recipient of that payment however. You already figured out that Mr. Hatahori received money from the gorilla group."

"Cool." Bakura couldn't suppress his excitement as the pieces began to fit. After all, winning is fun.

All three of the room's occupants were now charged with energy. They almost had an answer, something substantial with which they could work. Nobody could get past them. They were wallowing in the feeling of superiority and invincibility. Kaiba took over the completion of the puzzle, "And now the assassination attempts come into play. Since Expire could not send Seth to me, they decided to leak information concerning the weapons plant thereby sending me to Seth. They knew that I would confront the situation directly."

"What they knew is that you would get pissed off and fly off half cocked to kick there asses Kaiba style." Bakura cut in.

"Your about to get your ass kicked Kaiba style."

Yami picked up where Seto left off, "However, the gorilla group decided to take matters into their own hands. They decided that if they could get rid of Kaiba, they could get a hold of Bella easier. Therefore, they took potshots at him in the lobby. That attempt failed and the perpetrators escaped."

Seto took back the floor, "I show up at the factory, as anticipated but I am able to escape unharmed."

"With help." Yami points out.

"With hindrance. If you hadn't shown up…"

"If he hadn't shown up you would have been dog chow. Now shut up and lets finish this. I still feel like shit," Bakura tried to hide his desire to finish the puzzle with his usual charm. "Word must have gotten back to Mr. Sho that Seth couldn't kill you. Expire and Mr. Sho were desperate since you now have a potential source of information in Seth. Now what?"

Yami answered Bakura since Seto seemed intent on burning a hole through the others forehead with his eyes, "According to Bella, they reprogrammed her quickly. Her new program involved killing Kaiba. Unfortunately, they didn't specify which Kaiba so the girl went for Mokuba when he showed up, unexpectedly, in Seto's office. That is the last attempt on Seto's life of which we know."

"Wow. That's pretty complicated. Ya'll are amazing. Did you hear that Seth. Isn't our new family amazing? So you think that's what that nice man meant when he said that the not nice man was contagious. Does that mean that we will become amazing too? Maybe the crazy guy was amazing and he made our dad amazing and our dad made the nice man amazing. Hey, the nice man played with us. I bet we're already amazing. I hope daddy saves that others soon so we can show them how amazing we are."

The room's three occupants turned to the door to see Seth's hands raised in an aborted shushing motion, Bella leaning precariously over the threshold.

Seth stared Seto in the eyes and he moved slightly in front of his sister. "Sorry sir. I know you told us to go to bed. I have no excuse."

Seto sighed, "I suppose you heard all that."

Seth nodded once and Bella nodded like a head-banging rock star.

Yami addressed the children, "Well, there is nothing for it. I suppose that you had a right to know anyway. Still, you must learn to listen to Seto."

Bella threw herself at Yami and wrapped her arms around his legs causing the others eye's to crinkle in amusement, "I am so sorry. It was my idea. I wanted to watch daddy. I still can't believe I have a new daddy. And then you talked and I listened. I can't help but listen cause ya'll are so amazing. And Seth told me we should go so it wasn't his fault…"

Seto leaned over and put a hand on Bella's head, "It's all right. I think we're done now and I think you should take that nap like I told you too."

Yami just chuckled and pried the girl off his legs. Lifting her onto his lap he soothed the agitated child. "Come on. I'll tuck you in."

"And here I didn't think my stomach could turn any more." Bakura made a gagging notion before sipping his now frozen coffee. Oh Yuck. "I don't know which is more disgusting. My cold coffee of Yami turned den mother."

Yami was on his way out the door when Seth's question stopped him, "Sir. Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Seto responded, "You may ask me anything Seth. You don't need permission."

Seth nodded firmly, "Okay. What are you going to do now? Your step-father is dead right. And so is the lab coat," Seth gulped back tears, "You said Mr. Wilton was gone earlier and you don't know where Mr. Hatahori is. What are you going to do?"

Seto looked at the other two adults in the room…Well he looked at the one other adult in the room and Bakura, "Our next step is to go have a talk with Mr. Sho."

Yami's eye's darkened with the righteous malice unique to him and Bakura's lips curved in a sadistic smile. Looking at the adults, Bella's lips pursed into a silent 'Oh' and Seth's stance became defensive.

"Time to go to bed children." As Yami escorted the two out of the room he heard Seto's voice.

"Yes Bakura. You can bring your toys. And I think I'll have Yami bring his talismans too." A malicious laugh trailed after the children as they walked down the hall and Yami rolled his eyes. They would be lucky if these children ever slept peacefully again.


	13. Chapter 13

All right. I have to say something in my own defense before anyone reads this. They characters play a game in this chapter and the game is dark but I don't think it's out of character. You have to remember; in the series Yami has set people up to be burned alive, poisoned to death, and worse. Seto also has sicked mass murders on people and worse. Bakura is Bakura. No more needs to be said there. The action starts to pick back up in this chapter but it won't really get rolling with the main bad guy until chapter 14. Hope everyone likes this. Thanks.

Chapter 13:

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: SetoxYami

Genre: Action, Romance, Angst

Spoilers: None of which I am aware.

Warning: Cussing, Gore, Sadistic Games

Disclaimer: Me no own...TT

Splayed fingers pushed off of polished mahogany propelling their owner to his full height. "Good evening Mr. Sho." Kaiba's perfectly modulated voice purred in greeting, "So sorry to call you to work this late. I hope I haven't inconvenienced you." The weak light arching through the windows behind Kaiba stretched his shadow across the room letting it envelop the tense man hesitating in the doorway. Dressed completely in black and with his back to the windows, Kaiba was nothing more than an inky silhouette blocking out a magnificent view of the night sky. As if seeking its proper place, the light from the lamps in the far corners of the office reflected off of the only white surface provided by Kaiba making his false, conciliatory smile gleam with predatory beauty. His hand curved under the rim of the desk and depressed a button causing the door to slam shut seemingly under its own power.

The nervous figure in the doorway jumped drawing a dark rumble of laughter from the area of the couch. Darting his eyes anxiously to the right, Mr. Sho registered the presence of two visions that trapped his body in a torrent of lust, fear and uncertainty. Whereas Kaiba seemed mired in darkness, these two figures seemed luminescent, their outfits catching and reflecting the light. The two males were dressed in clothing that mixed his most perverted fantasies with his worst nightmares, each a personification of a masochist's wet dream. Sitting slumped with his knees parted, was Kaiba's head of security. Although usually attractive, now the figure was wildly stunning and positively deadly. His legs were covered in skintight silver vinyl pants, cutouts revealing sections of inner and outer thigh. His chest was visible through the white mesh shirt, two silver nipple rings winking teasingly through the mesh. The figure slouched so that his head was propped on the couch's back, hair trailing behind where Mr. Sho couldn't see it. Propped between his legs and reaching halfway up his chest was a steel-like bar with a rubber-like handle. The young man caressed up and down the bar suggestively, light dancing on the spiked leather knuckles adorning his slim fingers.

The other figure leaned against the side of the couch facing the door. He didn't recognize him although; he was vaguely reminiscent of someone he had once seen in a game tournament. If it was possible, this figure was even more stunning then the seated boy. This young man's clothes were a duplication of the clothing worn by the head of security except his pants were gold and his shirt was black. Instead of having a pair of matching nipple rings, this figure wore a gold belly ring on each side of which was a pyramid. Riding low on his hips was a black leather, holster-style belt. Instead of holding a gun however, a naked, serrated blade was hanging from a loop. Next to the blade was an oldish looking pouch cinched by a golden chain. One hand rested lightly on the knife's hilt and the other rested casually against the opposite hip, some sort of devise clenched in his fist.

It wasn't the clothing that froze him, however…it was the eyes. All the eyes in the room, baring his own, were the eyes of predators. Although he couldn't see Kaiba well in his position behind the desk, he knew that Kaiba had eyes that, despite the smile, were as cold and hard as a reptile's. His gaze would project the sharp, intent focus that came moments before a snake or crocodile inflicted certain death. In contrast, the head of security's gaze was manic, feral like a wild dog's. Those eyes broadcast their master's dark enjoyment of a vanquished enemy's pain. Those were the eyes of a creature that relishes the process of rending and tearing prey. The most frightening look however, came from the unknown figure. Blood red eyes projected the calculated malice of a cat. They held the surety of victory and the desire to play with the victim. They radiated the knowledge that the loser would not only be battered but also broken. From this man, death would be the merciful outcome.

"Beautiful aren't they. I picked their outfits myself." Mr. Sho drew in and held a breath, chest painfully tight as Kaiba paced around his statue-like figure. He had been so engrossed in the two figures by the couch that he failed to sense Kaiba's movements, a fatal mistake in the most innocuous of situations.

With exaggerated kindness, Kaiba settled his palm on the small of the executive's back, guiding him towards his two associates. "Allow me to introduce you. I invited you here to play with us after all."

Mr. Sho's head spun to face Kaiba, a nervous tick warping the left side of his face while he demanded. "What are you talking about? What is this all about?"

Almost as if coordinated, the two figures allowed their controlled malevolent laughter to drift through the room. Kaiba, however, ever the considerate host, settled his face into a look of false concern. "Mr. Sho, I was sure a man of your…ambition would know." Kaiba paused and seemed to think for a moment, "This is about power of course. After all, for a man of your refined tastes it couldn't be about the…" Kaiba stopped in an exaggerated manner to think, fingernails absently scrapping Mr. Sho's spine in a mocking caress. "How much was it Yami?"

Yami casually slanted a hooded gaze in Kaiba's direction, "I believe it was $1.67 million American dollars Seto, give or take a little."

"Ah. Yes. I believe you are right as usual." Seto allowed a wicked smile to cross his lips as he removed his hand from his captive and stunned audience. "That is the amount you were paid for handing over…17 wasn't it. Yes. You were paid 1.67 million to hand over a broken little girl…a transaction that you didn't complete I might add. Very bad business if you ask me." Seto tsked in the trembling man's direction.

Mr. Sho began to cower like any weak-minded creature caught in the act of taunting a predator. He was caught up in the trembling that sets in when that creature realizes that its control over the situation was only an illusion, that his tricks had not fooled the stronger animal. Now, the predator was within striking range and Mr. Sho was afraid, knowing he was caught but not knowing how much the predator knew.

Laughing lightly, Seto reassured the intimidated man next to him as he continued to reveal to Mr. Sho exactly how deeply he had buried himself, "Now don't worry Mr. Sho. I don't hold the money against you. I don't even hold the attempts on my life against you. After all, everyone knows the only way to get power is to take it from someone who is already powerful. That's what I did, right? Like I said, we're just here to play a game."

Casually, Seto strolled from beside Mr. Sho until he could lean against the couch. Accommodatingly, Yami moved aside until Seto seemed comfortable before leaning his own back against the tall brunet. For the first time, Mr. Sho got a clear look at Kaiba Corps. current CEO and he felt fear settle permanently into his bones. The man always wore trench coats but almost never were they closed like this one. His coat was full-length and black with a priests collar. The whole ensemble was reminiscent of the Spanish Inquisition. With the golden boy leaning on him, Mr. Sho couldn't stop his mind from picturing scenarios with dirty priests and naughty alter boys. The scene would have aroused him if he didn't feel as if he was about to be condemned to hell.

Seto continued casually as if the topic of conversation was of no importance, "As I was saying earlier, allow me to introduce you to our playmates for this evening. The lovely specimen leaning against me is Yami and I'm sure your already familiar with Bakura. Of course, since we're here to play, call me Seto and I'll call you Kyo. Is that all right Mr. Sho?"

Mr. Sho was panicked. What did Kaiba know and who were these men with him? Shit, he didn't like this. Mr. Hatahori assured him that Kaiba would never find out about his betrayal. He promised that the CEO would be gone before that could happen. Damn, he knew making that under the table deal with Expire would come back to bite him on the ass. Desperately, he tried to think of a way out of his current predicament. He tried indignant aggression. After all, the CEO was just a young man barely out of his teens. "I didn't come here at this time at night to play games Mr. Kaiba. I have a family. I thought you had important business to discuss."

"Important business?" Kaiba ignored Mr. Sho and nipped at Yami's ear. "Did you hear that love? He said he needs to talk about important business. He said he needs to get back to his family, but we know better don't we." Kaiba felt Bakura shift behind him. The ex-thief was getting impatient, but he would just have to wait. The longer the turkey roasted the more easily it would fall to pieces.

"Indeed? Isn't this a game company my dragon?" Yami's voice lightly queried but his gaze stayed strongly focused on Mr. Sho, nailing him to place by shear force of will. "What could be more important to a gaming company than games?"

"And family values?" Bakura waved a finger in disapproval at Mr. Sho, drawing the executive's attention. "You don't have to lie to us. We all know the strength of your morality. Family can't be that interesting to you. After all, as a man that seeks power, I know that nothing else really matters to people like you and me. As such, we've created a special game…one suited to your unique tastes."

Seto suppressed his glare and played along. The idiot was speeding the game along. So much for letting his prey stew for a while.

"Special tastes? What are you saying?" Mr. Sho's voice rose in pitch as he dropped his tough act and returned to agitated nervousness, "I don't have to sit here and take this. You can't play with me like some sort of toy."

Seto's voice was a hard seductive whisper, "But Mr. Sho. You know that I can. Isn't that why you're trying to steal my power? So you can play with people like they were toys. So you can do anything you want whenever you want, without interference. We both know that you could disappear right now and no one would ever question me. You want to be able to do that don't you Mr. Sho? Right now, you wish you could make me disappear and never pay for the crime."

Seto pulled a remote from a concealed pocket in his jacket and flicked a switch. An image appeared, projected on the wall. The slide show went from one scene of carnage to another, each picture more grotesque than the one before.

In an angry, low voice Seto growled, "You know these scenes don't you Mr. Sho? These are the fruits of your labor. The destruction caused by militant groups all over the world. You say you want to get back to your family while at the same time creating this." Seto hit a pause button on the remote showing the remnants of a small room. In the room were the massacred remains of a woman's body. The body was curled as if it had tried to protect something, the back nothing but a gapping hole. Hanging partially out of the hole rent in the woman's back was a small blood soaked doll. To the right of the woman, was a finger too small for an adult, a foul testament to what the woman's last failed attempts might have been trying to protect.

"Like I said. We are going to play a game Mr. Sho. But I am afraid that no game created by my company would suit your…singular tastes. As such, I asked my friends for assistance. After all, I can't just kill you. I need you to tell me all about your little friend, Mr. Hatahori." Seto reached out to caress Bakura's cheek before indulging in a spit-swapping kiss with Yami, again ignoring the sweating man whose eyes kept darting between the door and the oddly appealing lewd scene in front of him, increasingly desperate for escape as the evidence mounted against him.

"You have to be crazy. I would never play with you." Frantically, Mr. Sho was thinking of how quickly and completely he could disappear. These people were almost as crazy as Mr. Hatahori. He knew he was an idiot for sealing that deal. But what choice did he have. If he hadn't cooperated, he would have died. Spinning on his heals; Mr. Sho made a mad dash for the door only to find it missing, obscured by a thick mist of black smoke. Desperate, Mr. Sho plunged into the blackness blindly, hoping that the door was on the other side. What he found instead was that there was no other side. It was almost as if he had stepped into another world…an evil world.

Meanwhile, Bakura had been revealing in the pantywaist's fear as it built in response to Seto's cruel game of cat and rat. He saw the man stew in a cauldron of too many mixed emotions until Mr. Sho couldn't tell his head from his ass. Indignation at being discounted, lust, fear, hatred, jealousy, confusion and more had all been captured in Mr. Sho's face over the last few minutes. It must rankle to be a villain, to know you're a villain, to know you've been caught and to be treated as if your villainy was insignificant enough to ignore. It must suck to think you've pulled the wool over your bosses eyes only to have your boss show you that he ignored your actions because you weren't important enough to capture and hold his attention. At the same time, Bakura knew that Mr. Sho's mind must have being playing twenty questions, trying to figure out how much Kaiba knew and what the cost of his betrayal was going to be. Doubtless, Kaiba wanted to drag this game out, to get a little of his own back at the expense of the man who had dared set into play the events that harmed both his company and more importantly, his brother. Nevertheless, although Bakura enjoyed watching Seto's little torture fest, the rat's retreat to the maze signaled that it was time to move onto the real fun games.

Two pairs of lips separated, each curved in a depraved smile and Bakura rose from the couch, stretching in the process. "All right kiddies, time for the fun to begin." For once in perfect accord, the three figures stepped into the darkness after Mr. Sho.

Mr. Sho cowered like a cornered rabbit, trying to make himself as small as possible in the hopes that the approaching predators wouldn't see him. As usual, that tactic was useless. "Well Mr. Sho. I am so glad you decided to take me up on my game." Seto directed at the pathetic man. He couldn't believe that this weakling had the audacity to think he could take over Kaiba Corp.

"Yes. So glad." Bakura hissed. If anything, he looked more maniacal now than he did in Kaiba's office.

Mr. Sho's voice trembled, "Take you up? What are you saying? Where am I? What is going on?"

"Why Mr. Sho," Yami was the one to speak, "You took my dragon up on his offer of a Shadow Game of course. That's why you're here."

"Shadow Game?" Mr. Sho squeaked like the rat he resembled.

Another sinister laugh escaped Bakura's lips. "Yes. A Shadow Game you fool. And this is one I know I'll enjoy." Bakura looked at Seto, "May I?"

"Be my guest. I've been rather impressed by your restraint so far." Seto responded.

"Excellent," a dark chuckle bounced around the formless surroundings. "This little game is designed to test the strength of your soul against the strength of the priests."

"The priest?" Mr. Sho's eyes widened as he again looked back and forth between

Seto and Yami.

"Seto Kaiba you idiot. Now shut up and listen. I want to get to the fun part. To be a Shadow Game, things you both want and value have to be on the line. We all know what you want. You want power. As such, if you win this game, you get a controlling share in Kaiba Corp."

"What?" Mr. Sho questioned, voice gaining in strength.

"Now that caught your attention didn't it?" Bakura taunted.

Mr. Sho just shook his head in disbelief and directed a cautious gaze at Seto who just raised an eyebrow in an expression of detached inquiry. "You would never do it. Even if I did win, you would renege on the deal."

"That is where you are wrong." Yami's natural born authority rang out making everything he stated seem like absolute truth, "Seto is not like you. He would never renege on a deal. And in this case, it would be impossible. Surely you are slightly familiar with the world you've been messing with, the one from which your weapons are extracted? Once a game is started here, all participants must adhere strictly to the rules."

A calculating look put steal into the cowering figure's stance. "You've told me what I get if I win but you've said nothing of what you get. What do I have to give up if I lose?"

"What one stands to lose is always at the crux of a matter, isn't it." Kaiba purred, "Well you don't have to worry this time. What I'm after is information. I want to know the 'how.' How are you making it so the children are brainwashed? How are you making it so children can call their soul monsters over from the Shadow Realm? And most importantly, where can I find Mr. Hatahori, the mastermind behind Expire?"

Mr. Sho's eyes widened, "He'd kill me."

"And I get to kill you if you don't say." Bakura cut in cheerfully. "Either way your dead. Your only chance is to play this game and win enough power to protect yourself. So what do you say? Are you in? Are you ready to hear the rules?"

Mr. Sho looked from face to face, carefully examining the people in front of him. Licking his lips and trying to suppress his twitch, he stated "Very well. I'm in. What are the rules?"

"Finally. I thought we would never get this far." Bakura reached into Seto's pocket earning him a handful of something and an elbow to the head, "Gods priest. First your groping me then your gripping me. Make up your mind."

"Stay on subject fool."

Snarling at Seto's comment, Bakura turned to Mr. Sho, showing him what was in his hand. "Since Kaiba didn't have any fun games to play, he decided to borrow one of mine. Here I have two die, each with six sides and a spinner. On the spinner is your name and Kaiba's. On the first die is an action. Those actions include bludgeon, cut, burn, shock, stab, and choice. The second die lists body parts including hands/feet, arms, legs, torso, head, and choice. As you'll notice, Yami and I are equipped with certain instruments capable of carrying out the actions. My staff can be used as a blunt instrument and it can deliver a rather nasty electrical shock. A punch from me with my current spiked jewelry would leave you with four substantial stab wounds. Yami's knife, one of my own actually, is capable of making rather ugly cuts and the staff in his hand is actually a thin torch. Don't worry. It burns hot enough to do some serious damage. Although we will be the ones carrying out the actions, we cannot be biased. Once the game is in play, the powers of the Shadow Realm will be sure that we distribute the pain appropriately."

Bakura looked almost drunk with happiness at his own little game. "Doesn't this sound fun already. Now, the rules of the game are as follows. At the beginning of each person's turn, they make a choice. They can roll the die and spin the spinner or they can answer a question. If you roll the die, you also spin the spinner. What shows up on the die is done to the person the spinner chooses. As such, each time you choose die, you have a fifty/fifty chance of hurting yourself, but you also have a fifty/fifty chance of hurting the other. For instance, if Seto chooses die, he may roll bludgeon on one die, leg on the other, and spin Mr. Sho on the spinner. At that point, I get the pleasure of smashing your leg with my little toy here." Bakura waved his staff in the air like a fairy wand.

Seto winced. When Bakura was happy, he looked like a queer. Perhaps that was his reason for staying angry so often.

Yami continued the narrative as Bakura became caught up in daydreams of bloody carnage. "If you choose to answer a question, than you must answer any question posed to you by the opposite player and you must tell the truth. Doubtlessly, Seto will ask you fascinating questions about what you've been up to for the last couple years. Unfortunately, I doubt you want to know much about Kaiba. As such, we have added a bit of interest for you. Seto has writen down on a notepad conveniently located in his pocket, a two-digit number, no zeros. At no time can you ask straight out what that number may be. However, you can ask questions such as, 'does the number start with a one?' If you correctly guess the number Kaiba has written on his paper within the allotted number of six questions, you win. Kaiba will sign over the controlling stocks to Kaiba Corp. If you don't, Kaiba wins since he learns what he wanted to know from you with his questions and he doesn't have to forfeit his company If at any time you lie or refuse to answer once picking the question option, the die will be rolled twice as a penalty. You will notice, by the way, that certain combinations of the die are likely to be fatal. Death means you lose by default." Leaning slightly into Mr. Sho, Yami whispered menacingly, "Any questions?" Patting the man's ratty face he smirked, "I didn't think so. Since it was us that proposed the game, I think its only fair that you go first."

Mr. Sho wrung his hands and tried to think of the best course of action. He wanted Kaiba Corp. so he wanted Kaiba to choose to be asked questions but that didn't tell him if he should choose to answer Seto's questions or if he should risk rolling the die. If Seto asked the wrong question, he could be forced to reveal information that will lead Mr. Hatahori to kill him, but if he could get his hands on Kaiba Corp., he could have the power to take over Expire and eliminate Mr. Hatahori. The only real course of action was to risk the die thereby not letting Kaiba ask him any questions until he knew that he was in a position to guess Kaiba's number correctly. After all, there was a fifty/fifity chance that it would hurt Kaiba and the chances of rolling a fatal combination were relatively small. Upsetting Mr. Hatahori without becoming more powerful had a one hundred percent chance of gruesome death. Voice shaky, "I chose to roll the die."

Bakura's face lite up with demonic glee, "Look Kaiba. The rat has balls. All right, then roll the die and lets see what happens."

The die rattled continually in Mr. Sho's unsteady hand. "Where do I roll them? There's no surface here." As if in response to his words, a ten by ten black marble board materialized in front of the executive startling him into dropping the die, the clacking of surface tumbling over surface the only sound any of the four could hear. Mr. Sho's eyes were clenched tightly shut so Bakura strolled over to see the results, wicked smile dominating his face, "Looks like someone is going to get a nasty cut on their arm." With exaggerated casualness, Bakura pushed the spinner across the polished marble surface until it rested in front of Mr. Sho, "Don't keep of in suspense man. Spin."

With a pathetic little whimper, Mr. Sho reached out and limply flicked the spinner. Everyone held their breath until the spinner stopped. Nervous laughter broke out and Yami turned angry eyes on his dragon. He did not want to risk playing this game with his dragon's life but Seto had refused to let him take his place. He starred deep into Seto's eyes until the other spoke to him in a whisper too soft for anyone else to hear, "You said you would believe in me, that you had faith in the strength of my soul. Have you changed your mind now?"

Eyes unusually bright, Yami bit off in an angry whisper, "How can you ask me that? I will always believe in you. I just don't have to like it." In a louder voice, Yami ordered, "Take off your jacket."

Underneath Seto's jacket the other was still dressed like a delinquent Catholic father in black slacks and a white, high color shirt. Without further ado, Seto held his arm out and Yami removed his knife from his belt. Viciously, he drew the heinous blade horizontally across the meaty part of Seto's upper arm cutting almost to the bone. Instinctively, Seto clutched at the wound and sank to his knees, the pain more intense then he had expected. Eyes squeezed shut; he tried to think beyond the dizziness and throbbing. Both Yami and Bakura assured him that the Shadow Realm would not allowed him to pass out from anything short of a fatal wound. The game had to continue. It was his turn.

In the background, Seto could hear Mr. Sho gloating as he regained his confidence from one stroke of good luck. No wonder the idiot got wrapped up in something so far above his head. It seemed as if he was tossed around easily by a single change in circumstance. He looked up, vision hazy, to see Yami deliver a low blow to the gloating figure. Yami removed his fist from the others crotch as the other wheezed and complained, "That's not part of the game."

"No it wasn't. "Yami growled, "I did that for the pleasure." Bakura laughed.

"Enough." Seto's order rang out, strong as ever as he forced himself back to his feet. "Yami. Stop playing with Mr. Sho and come wrap my arm. There are bandages in one of my inner pockets." Yami reluctantly withdrew to comply. "It's my turn and I choose to answer one of your questions Mr. Sho.

"The man slowly uncurled from his bent over position. The blow Yami had dealt him was not an easy one to recover from. The man's eyes were spiteful and resentful. "Of course you want me to ask you a question. You can't afford too many injuries like that."

"Stop bragging and get on with it." Bakura loomed over the man.

"Fine." Mr. Sho winced and tried not to cower again, "Is the first digit greater than or equal to five?"

"No. You turn."

Mr. Sho gloated internally, not quite ready to gloat outwardly again. He now knew that the number was between eleven and forty-nine. Feeling his own power, he decided to roll again. With more confidence this time, he rolled and Bakura smiled and skipped back and forth between his too feet, "Oh goody. It looks like it's my turn. Hurry up and spin." Mr. Sho complied only to look on in horror when the spinner stopped on his name, "N…Now wait minute." He held up his hands in defense and tried to push his body backwards only to find himself stuck in place. Bakura's smile was malicious as he raised the rod above his head, "You don't know how grateful I am to you for this. I've been dying to bludgeon your sorry ass since the first time I met you. No stop cowering and take it like a man." Evil laughter drowned out the sound of Bakura's rod breaking Mr. Sho's ribs but it couldn't block out the others pitiful wailing. The gloating figure of a few moments ago was now whimpering, rolled up on the ground around his damaged torso. Indulging in the moment, Bakura rapped the man hard on the back, painfully jarring the other man's injuries, "Painful ain't it. Feels as if you could pass out at any time but you don't have to worry about that. It's impossible for this game to stop until one of you dies or wins. The potential for suffering is practically infinite. Isn't that grand." Suddenly Bakura's nose wrinkled in disgust as the scent of urine filled the air. Jumping back, he scowled. The man had peed himself in fear. "I can't believe that you thought you had a chance in hell against Kaiba."

Yami glared, "I can't believe we're wasting this much time on a man that is obviously little more than a puppet in the hands of a master."

Wavering on his feet from blood loss, Kaiba proclaimed, "Cut the commentary. It's my turn. Ask me a damn question you fool and stop crying. You're making me sick to my stomach. Do you or don't you want my company?"

The whimpering figure on the ground just kept rocking while muttering, "You're crazy…You're all fucking crazy."

Yami sighed in exasperation, "Do you forfeit your turn. You know the game can't end here."

Garbled, Mr. Sho fought out a question, "Is the first digit less than or equal to two?"

"Yes." Kaiba answered sharply, "Now what do you want to do? Roll," Kaiba sneered and looked down on the other despite his own injured state, "or answer my question?"

"Question." Was the barely audible response from Mr. Sho.

All business, Seto continued, "Fine. Where can I find Mr. Hatahori?"

A tear filled giggle fell from Mr. Sho's lips. He sounded broken already, "I don't know." Giggle. "He always contacts me…He always finds me." In a sing song tone like a little child, "Your turn."

The three looked at the die. They didn't start rolling a penalty so the other was telling the truth. Damn!

Seto just shook his head. Pathetic opponents made games no fun. With a sigh, he stated again. "Ask another question."

Mr. Sho tilted his head up just enough to see the other. This question would determine the first digit since the last question had narrowed the number down to something between 11 and 29. Quietly but with building anticipation, Mr. Sho asked, "Is the first digit a one."

"No. I've answered another one of your questions. Now, what is your next course of action? Answer my question or roll the die?"

Mr. Sho whispered, "What do you want to know?"

"How does Mr. Hatahori usually contact you?"

Closing his eyes tight, Mr. Sho tried to give away as little as possible, "He sends encoded messages to a special e-mail account."

Seto paused to think out his current strategy. He knew the other had narrowed his number to something between 21 and 29. With three remaining questions, Mr. Sho could narrow the answer down to a sure thing. Nonetheless, he still needed to know what the e-mail address Mr. Hatahori contacted if he was going to track down the other and he needed to know how the asshole was doing what he was doing. Furthermore, he didn't know what the other would choose and he couldn't afford to take too much damage. Deciding to tough things out, he stayed on his current track. "Ask." Seto ordered.

Mr. Sho could feel his victory getting closer and his arrogance slowly started to return. Pushing his pained body painfully into an upright position, he asked, "Is the number odd or even?"

"Odd."

Mr. Sho cursed inwardly. That left him with five possible numbers instead of four. The number could be 21, 23, 25, 27, or 29. He still wasn't confident enough to risk more pain though. As long as Kaiba didn't ask him the wrong question he would be okay. He was so close to having Kaiba's power. Only two more questions to go before he had to guess. "Ask me another question."

Kaiba motioned to Yami that he should retrieve the pad and pen from his pocket. "What is the e-mail address Mr. Hatahori contacts?"

Mr. Sho answered knowing that he now had to win this game if he wanted to live. There was no way Mr. Hatahori would let him live now.

"Ask." Kaiba stated without emotion.

"Is the number greater than or equal to five?"

"No."

Mr. Sho exalted in Kaiba's answer. He had a fifty/fifty chance at guessing the correct number now It was either 21 or 23. He still had one question so his victory was practically guaranteed. The illusion of strength and power began to make Mr. Sho giddy. Despite the pain, selfish ambition began to fill the others eyes again. Feeling invincible, he was confident that nothing Kaiba could ask would hurt him, "Ask me a question." He demanded.

A smile crept across Kaiba's face making him seem demonic and confusing Mr. Sho. He had been watching the other the entire time he was playing. From the moment the other had walked into his office, he had been feeling him out, examining him to discover what he least wanted to reveal. Now was the time to ask that question and to test the metal of the fool's soul.

Mr. Sho just ignored his confusion and gloated inwardly. Didn't the fool know that he was over a barrel now? Didn't he know that, after the next turn he was sure to get his hands on Kaiba's stocks?

Kaiba's polite voice was back signaling trouble to anyone with half a brain, "Mr. Sho, What does Mr. Hatahori do that makes it so children can call shadow monsters into the Mortal Realm?

Mr. Sho began to tremble again and sweat gathered on his brow. He couldn't tell Kaiba that. No matter how much power he was to get from being CEO in Kaiba Corp., he would never be able to survive the wrath of Mr. Hatahori's master. He stuttered and then yelled, "I…I d..don't know? I don't know, okay? I don't know how he does it?"

Suddenly the dice seemed to take on a life of their own, trembling in place as if they were stuck in the midst of a earthquake. Mr. Hatahori's eyes focused on the die as if they were the very hounds of hell.

Bakura's grin was so wide and sinister that it looked ready to crack his face. In a lightly scolding voice he taunted the other, "Didn't your mother tell you not to lie?" Laughing, "Well its too late now. Don't worry; I'm kinda happy you did. Now, you have to pay a penalty."

"No! Wait! You can't do this to me!" Mr. Sho scrambled desperately across the floor to clutch at Seto's legs only to be kicked off like the pathetic animal he was. In horror, Mr. Sho watched as the dice floated in the air in front of him switching between two options…stab head and burn legs.

"Looks like the dice have chosen Mr. Sho." Yami lite his torch until a steady blue flame emerged illuminating the immediate surrounds.

Bakura addressed an imaginary audience while laughing menacingly, "Remember kiddies. We don't do violence because we have to. We do it because its fun."

Yami's torch lite the bottom of Mr. Sho's pants before moving steadily up the material and Bakura raised his clenched fist above the others head, spikes shinning as if polished.

Mr. Sho threw both hands up over his face and screamed, "Stop! Please Stop! I'll tell you. My God, I'll tell you everything. It's that damn ring of his. Something's in it. Something that is not human lives in that damn ring. It's evil. It runs everything."

Yami and Bakura backed off when a slimy voice broke in, seemly coming from everywhere around them. Seto instinctually looked for the speakers in the room only to wince when he remembered where they were, "I'm disappointed in you Mr. Sho. And you were doing sooo well up to know." The a parody of a loving father's, mocked the suffering man.

Seto shuddered. He hated that voice when he was a child and he hated it now, "Mr. Hatahori."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Kaiba. I've heard so much about you. And you too pharaoh and thief of ancient Egypt. You'll have to excuse me though. I have some business to attend to. I leave your entertainment up to some friends of mine."

Slowly misshapen creatures crept out of the darkness trailing unmentionable globs of foul slime behind them.

Bakura snapped at the others, "They're Goblin Zombies. Not that dangerous one at a time, but like all zombies they come in hoards. Do something pharaoh!"

Closing his eyes, Yami removed another talisman from his pouch. Concentrating, he empowered it causing three swords to spring up in front of himself, Kaiba, and Bakura. The monsters shielded away from the swords blinding light, moving instead towards the writhing unprotected figure of Mr. Sho. "This should protect us until I can manage to project us out of the Shadow Realm. What about Mr. Sho?"

The three turned towards the writhing, screaming figure that was trying to escape and put out flames at the same time. Mr. Sho's screams began to escalate as fire met flesh, the smell of burning adding to the Zombie's stench. In a futile attempt to save his life, the man pleaded with the air around him "Stop! Mr. Hatahori, don't do this to me! I've always helped you. You need me." Turning, he faced Kaiba and the others moments before the Zombies reached him, eyes pleading.

Kaiba didn't look away. He couldn't even though he hated this man. He was a man and didn't deserve this type of death. Unfortunately, his hands were tied. The best he could do, was not ignore the other's suffering. He didn't turn away as the Zombies closed in on him. Nor did he turn away when blood coated the ground like a horrific red carpet. He listened to the plop and splat of small globules of flesh impacting the wet floor and he allowed the frightened, dying screams to create new material for his nightmares. Slowly, the scene faded as Yami returned him to his office.

Still strung out from the horror they had just witness, all three figures went into offensive stances when the door slammed open only to reveal the tear stained figure of a panting little girl. Heedless, Bella threw herself at Seto's legs, "Daddy." She wailed as she drenched the stunned figure. "The bad man's got him. He's got Seth and he's gong to use him again. It could kill him this time Daddy. He might die. He hid me and Mokuba and he let them take him. You have to save him daddy. You hafta!"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Bella blinked, eyes blurry and words halted, as the man she had come to think of as her invincible savior collapsed to his knees, forcing her to release the death grip she had on his legs. For the first time since rocketing into the room, she saw the tacky red substance that saturated the clothing on the left side of her adoptive father's body, the material clinging to his bent, shaking form. Slowly, she took in the tight, pained expression twisting the face brought so close to her own by her father's kneeling posture. She saw the torn shirtsleeve bound with a bloody bandage and the sweat-beaded forehead. She screamed.

"Daddy!"

Panicked, she looked frantically around the room, scanning for enemies. Instantly, her gaze zeroed in on the bloody blade hanging from Yami's hip. Feelings of betrayal marred her usually innocent expression as she launched herself without thought or fear at the man who had called himself her father's friend. Recklessly, she battered Yami's abdomen and lower chest with her tiny fists, tears flowing freely.

"You're a bad, bad man! I hate you! Hate you, hate you, hate you! How could you do this! How could you hurt my daddy! You said he was a good man! You said you loved him! You said we should love him too! How could you do this to him, you..you butthead. You stupid meanie! You butthead, butthead, butthead!"

Yami stood stunned as the girl pounded and cursed him. Even Bakura stood frozen at the child's violent if ineffectual outburst.

"Bella." Seto's calm voice broke through the young child's hysterics, as he demanded, "Stop it this instant."

Turning away from Yami, Bella threw herself onto her hero's chest, clutching him with all the might her fragile body could muster. "But..but" Tears continued to pour down her face as Seto gently stroked her hair. He searched his memory for the methods he used to calm Mokuba after their mother and father's deaths.

Seto bent his head so it rested against the small, soft cheek. Whispering softly in her ear, he attempted to sooth her. "You have no reason to be mad at Yami. He was helping me. He was the one who bandaged my wound."

Removing her nose from Seto's shirt she sniffed and asked in a meek voice, "He did?"

Gently Seto nodded before resting his forehead against her red hair. Shyly, Bella slid a tentative gaze at Yami, "You did?"

Yami knelt beside the girl and looked her straight in the eye, "I always try to protect him little one. I am glad to see that I have someone with whom to share my duties now."

Snuggling her cheek against Seto's chest she gave a small nod.

Yami's expression was serious as he addressed her comments upon entering. "You said the bad man had your brother again?"

Bella's eyes widened as Yami reminded her of her original purpose. Quickly she pushed away from Seto's chest allowing her father's head to descend to his folded knees, torso flat against his thighs and head turned to watch the interaction between the girl and his one-time lover.

Despite extreme nausea and dizziness, Seto tried to focus as he leveled his slitted eyes on the young girl looking down at him, her brow wrinkled in concern. Yami managed to miss the brachial artery, but the Shadow Realm had not allowed Yami to go easy when carrying out the die's verdict. The cut was deep and Seto lost a lot of blood before the bandages staunched the flow. What he needed was a lot of fluids and bed rest, not too mention a large number of stitches. One look at Bella's frantic face, however, banished the possibility of sleep from his mind. His tired body would just have to deal. The battles of the day were not yet over.

Seto struggled to speak in a clear voice, one that would defy his slouched posture. "Bella, I need you to tell us what happened in as precise a way as possible, okay."

Bottom lip quivering as the little girl attempted to stem her tears, "Okay daddy." The little girl plopped down on her own knees only to lay her whole upper body across Seto's lightly heaving back in an effort to give and take reassurance. Face tilted to look at the back of her father's head, she spoke. "The bad man in the picture, the one that gave me to Mr. Sho, came to get us at the mansion. Seth saw him killing the security guards you left to keep us safe and he said we had to hide. Seth said all the house peoples were gone and no one was with us in the house so we had to hide your brother since you had been so good to us so we dragged him down the stairs and hid him in the closet. Ummm…we put him in the corner and covered him up with a whole bunch of stuff. Then..then" Bella started to cry again.

Seto looked at Yami, eyes pleading for help. Yami leaned over and took the young girl from Seto's back, rocking her back and forth in his own lap to calm her, "Its okay Bella but you need to tell us more. We have to know what's going on so we can save your brother."

Bella looked up at Yami, "You are going to save him?"

Yami gave her a reassuring smile, "Of course child. You ask such silly things. I already told you once that we protect what is ours. Your brother is one of ours, so we will retrieve and avenge him at any cost."

"Retrieve?" Sniffling.

Yami clarified, "We'll get him back."

"Oh. Okay." Bella looked down as if in shame, "The door blew up and Seth shoved me in the closet. He wouldn't let me stay with him. I wanted to but he wouldn't let me. I didn't mean to leave him, really, but he said it would be easier for you to save one of us then to save all of us?"

"Your brother is as smart as his new father. You should believe in him. What happened next?" Yami continued to rock the girl.

Lip quivering, "The evil man took him. He kept asking him where we were and Seth kept telling him that daddy hid us all in different places to keep us safe. Then…then the man got really mad and I think he started breaking things. I don't know. I just heard a bunch of breaking stuff. I don't know how long I stayed in the closet but I stayed until it had been quiet for a long time."

Bella looked over at Seto whose face was turned towards her, his check still resting on his kneeling knees so that Bella had to look down to meet his eyes. "Daddy?"

"Yes, Bella. I'm listening. I'm just a little dizzy right now, okay."

"Ummm…kay. Daddy?"

"Yes Bella."

The young girl left Yami's lap to scrunch down in front of her father, her nose touching Seto's and her butt in Yami's face. "I'm sorry but I couldn't put your brother back to bed by myself. He's too big for me. I dragged him into your desk room though so he could sleep on the pretty o'rent carpet."

Using his good arm to shakily push himself up he reassured her, "That's good. You did good." Much to Yami's relief, Bella sat up also.

Suddenly, the shattering of glass and the inhuman screech of a monster destroyed the illusion of safe haven. Instinctively, the young men threw themselves to the floor, arms moving to protect head and neck as deadly glass projectiles filled the air. In his dive to safety, Yami carefully covered Bella's stunned form with his own body. The office plunged further into darkness as the heartrending noise exploded one light bulb after another in a shower of sparks. The awful noise escalated to a volume that nearly made Yami's ears bleed moments before talons sank deep into his shoulders. An angry yell was wrenched from his lips, as he reared up blindly striking out and successfully dislodging one foot.

"Pharaoh! Down! Now!" Bakura ordered as his fist cleared Yami's face by mere millimeters, his spiked fingers viciously rending gapping holes into the flying monster's pasty white flesh. Struggling, Seto pushed up enough with his good arm to stare at Bakura as he repeatedly punched the harpy, it's body now pinned to the ground by the young man's weight, blood too dark to be human gushing in starts and spurts to stain Bakura's skin and clothes. Yami had been pushed to the side during the battle and was shaking, dazed into temporary immobility. Yami's body was actually glowing with a strange light, his eyes redder than Seto had ever seen them. If he didn't know better, he would say that Yami's eyes had no pupils to break up the pure crimson of his irises. Bella was desperately trying to crawl over to Seto's prone figure as another screech tore the air. Seto scrambled to sharpen his injury-dulled wits as another harpy invaded his office, wings throwing another rain of deadly glass projectiles inward. "Bakura!" Seto yelled moments before the creature sank talons into Bakura's white mane, yanking the kicking, snarling figure into the air.

"Nooooo!" A high-pitched child's scream rang out in terror. Head pivoting in the direction of the noise, Seto saw the injured harpy recover enough strength to grab the girl and fly out the window.

"No! Damn it!" Furious, Seto forced his injured body up, launching himself haphazardly out of the office window after the departing fiend. Desperately, he grasped onto the harpy's struggling frame as the creature flew up the short distance to the roof. Below him he could hear Bella's frightened screams. Looking down, he saw her flailing limbs as she hung, miles above the street in her captor's grip. Seto's arms trembled in weakness but he refused to let go as they were carried towards the roof. Just as they became even with it's surface Bella bit down hard on the clawed foot holding her.

"Bella! No!" Screaming in anger and pain, the harpy dropped its prey. Desperate, Seto released his grip, falling after Bella's wailing form.

"Bella! Seto!"

For a fraction of a second, Seto saw Seth and Mr. Hatahori standing at the edge of the roof, one looking on in pain and the other in pleasure as gravity exerted its control over his body. Sound and sight were soon irrelevant as the rushing air brought tears to his eyes and deafened him with it's howling. His blurry vision registered his decent past the broken window of his office, the inhumanly glowing face of his lover starring at him. Vaguely, he contemplated the irony of the situation. He wondered if he was destined to share the same death as his adoptive father. Was this what Gozoboro felt when he committed suicide so many years ago?

Suddenly, his plunge towards the pavement was halted as his movement through the air changed from vertical to horizontal. It took his mind a few moments to register that he was now seated on something warm and…scaly. He started when small arms wrapped around him to clasp tightly onto the front of his shirt, bunching the material in clasped fists. Hesitantly, he looked back to see Bella pressed snuggly against his back. Looking down, he saw that he was seated on a golden dragon…the guardian of the fortress. Lazily, the giant form wheeled in the air, turning back towards Seto's decimated office. Upon arrival, it gracefully settled onto its haunches and lowered its head in a signal that its two passengers should disembark. Still somewhat stunned, Seto rolled off the dragon's back and sank to his knees on the baby blue carpet. He heard Bella land behind him moments before he felt her clinging form again. Looking around, he noted the absence of both Yami and Bakura. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he gagged at the massacre. He spun and buried the young girls face in his chest, adrenalin giving him more strength then he should have at that moment.

"Bella, I want you to close your eyes and cover them with your left hand okay?"

"But daddy?"

"Just do it!" Seto said with more force than he intended. Trembling the girl complied. To worn to fix his mistake, he grasped the girls right hand in his own and ordered in a softer voice, "Follow me."

Passengers duly delivered, the dragon took to the skies again, this time rising to the building's roof. Watching its ascent, Seto knew to where his two companions had gone. They had gone to the roof to face the enemy head on. He would be damned if they were going to do it without him.

Stumbling, Seto led Bella past the crudely beheaded figure of one well-aerated harpy, the multiple stab-wounds to the body revealing it to be the monster that had dropped him and Bella. The foolish creature must have returned to try and harm the others. Seto couldn't help the small, malicious pleasure that rose in him at the sight of a fallen enemy. The charred remains of the second harpy lay crumpled next to the door as if the body had been kicked away from the threshold by the departing figures of Bakura and Yami.

Seto led Bella out of the room and over to his secretary's desk. Gently, he guided her underneath its polished surface before instructing her to open her eyes. Bella lowered her hand, her gaze practically clinging onto the crouched man before her, "Daddy?"

"Everything is going to be okay but I need you to stay here okay. I need you to be brave since I have to leave you for a while. Stay here and be safe so I can go help the others save Seth. Can you do that for me?"

Hesitantly, Bella nodded her head, her small body shrinking further into the dark corners underneath the desk.

Feeling only a slight twinge of guilt for leaving the girl on her own, Seto stumbled towards the stairs, his need to get to the roof a driving force propelling him onward. All he could think was that Yami was fighting that insane asshole and he might need his help. Each step upward was excruciating, his body protesting with waves of nausea and vertigo. In addition to his half-healed back and newly injured arm, his body was a horrific masterpiece of cuts and scrapes. His iron will, however, would not give into his body's demand for respite. As such, the hand on his good arm intermittently grasped the handrail, pulling the limp muscles in his legs upward one step at a time. Time and time again, Seto fell to one knee, adding more bruising to the already damaged flesh. By the time Seto reached the door to the roof, he wondered if his muscles had turned to liquid under his skin due to the constant battering. Opening the door, he was again enveloped by madness, the scene in front of him to fantastical for even the most devote believer of the supernatural to accept. Seto barely had the strength to twitch at Bakura's yelled proclamation, "You suicidal idiot! What are you doing up here!"

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Yami gasped, breath frozen in a flash of pain. Bakura's headlong charge dislodged him from the harpy, but in the process, its talons ripped ragged groves into his shoulder. Finger's moved to cautiously probe his torn flesh thereby coating his hand with blood. Lowering his wet digits until they hovered in front of his face, he stared appalled. The liquid on his fingers was dark, to dark to be human. Shock settled in and Yami became trapped in his own thoughts, forgetting friend and foe alike. Gradually, he became aware of the power accompanied by blood lust now coursing through his veins. Whereas moments before he had a purpose, a cause…now he wanted only to revel in power, to exalt in the destruction of anyone that interrupted his revelry. Power distracted him from pain allowing him to drift in a haze and ignore the nagging feeling tugging at the back of his mind. Suddenly, he could hear a voice, melodious but muffled. Although distinctly feminine, he couldn't recognize the voice's owner. Annoyed, he released a low, animalistic growl. Nonetheless, he strained to listen to the faint irritant.

"One more word of warning. If you fail to prevent the breaking of the barrier, you will lose yourself forever. The shadow magic will overwhelm your soul and you will truly become a monster. Do not fail."

The power in Yami cajoled him, told him that he should scoff at the ignorant words. Whoever the woman was, she was a fool. With this kind of power, what use was a soul? If he just let the power consume him, he would be a god and gods could take the souls of others. They had no need of their own. He felt the magic shift within his body, changing the shape and appearance of his current form. Looking down, he saw an intricate, mystical design weaving across his skin, his nails he saw lengthen and harden into deadly weapons. Rolling his tongue in his mouth, he felt his eyeteeth stretch into razor-shape points.

Growling louder, he attempted to block out another voice in his head, this one he recognized as his own, a fact that angered him even more.

"I would have to be tied to Seto Kaiba, right? He is the one I must protect."

The power continued to whisper seductive and venomous lies to the paralyzed pharaoh. Seto Kaiba? Who the hell was he and why the fuck did he have to protect him. As a god, humans had duties to serve him, not the other way around. If the man were worth an ounce of gold, he would be powerful enough to protect himself.

Despite his mind's protestations, his heart and soul continued to send messages, determined to fight against the flood of shadow magic now trying to devour them. Their last attempt, managed to penetrate the bloodthirsty stupor into which the pharaoh had fallen. The last, tired, slurred voice struck a cord, enhancing the pharaoh's pain anf longing to a point he couldn't ignore. The shadow magic's insistent prodding, it's tempting promises of power in return for relinquishing his soul, were pushed to the side by resurrected memories of the best and worst time in his existence.

"Tell me you love me again. Tell me you'll stay with me forever. Lie to me. Please. Just once. Tell me you'll stay with me my beautiful liar… Mine… My very own beautiful liar."

"Seto." The name passed his lips in a reverent whisper. How could he ever forget his dragon? How could he forget his desire to protect and shield him? How could he forget his love? Gravely, Yami admitted to himself that his time was running out, both to stop the disaster that threatening to destroy the mortal world and to indulge in the presence of his dragon. The barrier was so weak now that the shadow magic was threatening to overtake his soul. Ruthlessly, Yami dug his own fingers into his wound, sharply and painfully bringing him back to the present. The intricate tattoo decorating his skin began to fade, but it didn't disappear, the slight changes in appearance a testament to his internal battle.

"God Damn it you Stupid Fucking Pharaoh. This is no time for your futile beauty sleep! Get your royal ass over here and get this bitch off of me!" Yami focused on the thrashing figure of Bakura, the man who had possibly saved his own life moments before. Currently, the harpy was cackling gleefully as she smashed the thief's dangling body repeatedly against the door. Drawing conservatively on the power that had almost consumed him, he forced his body into action. He picked up the torch he dropped in the earlier excitement and approached the entangled pair. "Stupid scrawny-ass, man-hating whore! It's not my fault you couldn't get any if you were stripped naked in the midst of a hundred horny sailors!"

Ignoring Bakura's vulgarities, Yami ripped a hole in the harpy's back before shoving the torch inside her. Screaming, the creature dropped Bakura and tried to turn on the pharaoh only to be held in place by her recently relinquished burden. Yami forced magic into the flame to insure that it would catch and burn the creature to death.

Bakura cackled as he kicked the fallen, writhing figure to the side. "Burn baby burn."

Looking around the room, Yami snapped at Bakura, "Where's Bella…and Seto!"

Bakura just looked at him as if he was insane, "My gods! Didn't you see the suicidal stunt your priest just pulled? Look out the window. If you're lucky there won't be any bodies on the ground…yet." Bakura watched the pharaoh rush to the broken window to frantically study the ground. Not a second later, the falling figure of a small girl followed by a young man passed the window. In the next moment, smoke and bright light filled the air and a golden dragon took up most of the previously empty space in the room. "What the fuck!" Bakura yelled while plastering himself to the wall. It was then that he noticed the changes in the pharaoh's appearance, that he registered the presence of a shadow monster called without the talismans, "Ah, Hell. What next!"

Yami pointed out the window while issuing commands, "Guardian! Catch and protect that male and female. Bring them back to this room and then return to my side." Instantly, the monster moved to obey.

As the dragon dipped down below the window ledge, the wounded harpy sailed in to take its place. Bakura watched as inhuman fury twisted the pharaoh's face into a monstrous parody of its natural expression. Mercilessly, blood red eyes locked the flying fiend into place long enough for one claw tipped hand to firmly grasp a shoulder while the other wrenched the head of the struggling thing's body. Bakura moved into an offensive position as the blood soaked young man turned to face him. He was into carnage but this was out-of-control. Slowly, a dark parody of the child-kings voice hit Bakura like a sledgehammer to the gut, causing his internals to twist and knot in objection, "Don't fight me. I may not be able to stop myself from killing you. I know only that I must protect him now. That is all."

As the pharaoh strode towards the door, Bakura scrambled to get out of the way, but never one to be intimated, he couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Where are you going?"

A solid red gaze, no pupils, gnawed at his courage as the pharaoh stopped in front of him. "I am going to destroy his enemies. That is my task. Accompany me at your own risk."

Frightened but undeterred, Bakura managed to snarl, "I was going to. I don't need your permission."

With no further comment, Yami swept out the door, never once looking behind him to see if the other followed.


	15. Chapter 15

Hey everybody! I started posting on in case people other than those who are at Pharaohs Palace and Yami no Kokoro wanted to read it. However, since no one reviews, I don't know if I should keep posting here or not. Please review, even if it is just to say that you love or hate the story. True, I will most likely ignoring truly insulting flames but any suggestions would be wonderful. Thank You.

Chapter 15:

Title: Shadow Wars Inc.

Author: Fairyfae

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: SetoxYami

Genre: Action, Romance, Angst

Spoilers: None of which I am aware.

Warning: Cussing, Gore, nothing worse than what has come before.

Disclaimer: Me no own...TT

Bakura snorted in disgust as the altered figure of the pharaoh gilded majestically up the stairs. Just looking at himself and the pharaoh, he knew that neither of them should be moving much less gliding anywhere. But there he was in all his be damned glory, moving as if he was walking, completely uninjured, dressed in riches instead of torn and bloody rags, into the temple that had been sacrificed to the desert approximately 3,000 years ago. Bakura's own body that was now a mass of mottled bruises from its repeated encounter with the door was only motivated to movement by his desire to match or beat the man in front of him. God he wished he still had his ring. Somehow he knew that he would need his shadow power in spades when he reached the roof. Yami's halt at the top of the stairs was so sudden that Bakura barely managed to not collide with his back.

Yami turned and captured Bakura's gaze with his own blazing red eyes before reaching out with a clawed hand to rend the remaining scraps of his sticky black shirt. Fist grasping the torn material, he pulled the clinging mesh off his chest leaving only the dried blood of monsters, the crusting substance throwing into relief the grooves and swells of his defined chest and abdomen. Voice booming he demanded, "Thief, you who have been an eternal thorn in my side, your time to serve me has arrived."

Bakura sputtered and tried to think of a fittingly scalding comeback, but the truly terrifying countenance of the man facing him stilled his tongue. This was not the same man he had been playing cat and mouse with for so many centuries. A dark chuckle shimmied down Bakura's spine, as the pharaoh expressed dark mirth, "I see your rebellion and I appreciate it for what it is but do not worry, you will like the task I have set up for you." Slowly, Yami drew his fingers over his chest bringing Bakura's gaze to the faint lines covering the bronze surface. "If these lines become as black as a moonless night, the pattern completely covering my chest and back, you will see to it that I am shoved out of this world and into the shadow realm. Do you understand me?"

Bakura's eyes widened drawing another frightening laugh from the one time pharaoh. "That's right thief. If I turn all the way into a shadow monster, your job is to banish me to the proper realm. You are to send me to join the priest you banished into that realm so many years ago. It will be your final task to dispose of me forever."

Bakura was still trying to gather his thoughts which had shattered into a million tiny fragments at the shock so carelessly delivered to him when the pharaoh threw open the door separating stairwell from rooftop. Yami never once looked up at what should have been the night sky as he paced across the roof towards the confident looking man standing near the roofs edge, Seth's small body held partially in front of him. However, Bakura was not so controlled. Never, in all his days of evil, had he seen anything like this. Was this what he had been inviting when he so carelessly abused his powers so many years ago?

Dominating the sky above the towering Kaiba Corp. headquarters was the threat of a storm more potent then the earth had seen since the first appearance of the seas. Greenish-black clouds of noxious gas writhed and danced with power and destructive potential, random zigzags of lightening weaving in and around the gaseous poison, each flash filling the air with the occasional low crackle and hiss. Peaking out of the cover provided by the unnatural storm was a pulsating monstrous mass of nightmarish creatures, each clawing against a practically invisible surface, like ravenous animals trapped within a bubble. Each claw scrape seemed to threaten the bubbles destruction, an event that would result in a massive rain of death and destruction on everyone below.

"Who do you think I am?" Yami's voice boomed easily projecting over the length of the roof, his blazing crimson eyes narrowed in scorn, eyebrows dipped to meet in the middle. Regally, he paused several meters short of the disgusting creature that had the nerve to call himself a man, the same repellent, revolting thing that had dared to threaten his dragon and all that which belonged to his dragon. Legs braced apart, posture ramrod straight, he leveled his finger at the stupid man currently holding Seth captive. "How dare you threaten what is mine!" The proclamation rang with threatening force but the man in front of him must have been delusional or stupid for the fool did not cower. Instead, the man had the audacity to smirk.

"I know well who you are pharaoh of a dead and gone era. I simply did not expect to get such a bonus when I began this task."

Snarling, Yami forced himself to not attack while Seth was still in danger. Instead, he demanded answers of the breathing, soon-to-be dead man in front of him. "What are you talking about?" Pausing, Yami narrowed his eyes. The shadow powers inside of him sensed something that his eyes couldn't see. Brow rising in realization, he accused, "You are not human. Show yourself at once. I will not talk to a coward that remains concealed within the body of a corpse."

Gloating laughter floated through the chill air, repulsing all that could hear it. Even the monsters constantly fighting to break the barrier seemed to pause a moment as if to measure the potential power of an enemy. "Ahhhh…" A slimy, repugnant voice echoed around the roof, making its origin impossible to distinguish, "I should have expected as much from the King of Games."

Gradually, the thick, greenish smoke seemed to go from gas to liquid, beading into clumps within the air like mercury on glass. Little by little, the mucous-like clumps flowed into one another until they congealed into one large, hovering blob. Tendrils of the blob reached out to envelop Mr. Hatahori, eating through his flesh as if it was acid. Seth released a high-pitched scream and struggled madly to get away from his captor, eventually managing to tear free. The arm that had held Seth still clung to him having separated from Mr. Hatahori's dissolving body. Scrambling away, Seth slid on his butt, pushing with his legs and pulling with his arms, never letting his eyes leave the horrid figure in front of him as it solidified into a devil-like creature. Trailing beside him was the arm and jacket of Mr. Hatahori. Breathing completely out-of control, he pried at the dead fingers clinging to him, fighting to dislodge the appendage.

"Devourer of Rotting Flesh, Eater of the Deceased, what are you doing in this world? I banished your being into oblivion centuries ago." Yami fearlessly faced the demonic creature in front of him. He knew this beast and he was furious at its presence in the mortal realm.

"Wouldn't you like to know, you who are gradually losing your soul to become one of us…a shadow monster ruled by bloodlust, banished to a darker realm and doomed to serve the whims of weaker creatures?" Feeling superior, the Devourer took time to explain his survival to the pharaoh, wanting to rub his continued existence in the others face. "Centuries ago, in the age of magical battles, you banished most of me, but a fragment of my being was able to hide in a ring, a randomly misplaced ring that just happened to be nearby. Over the centuries, I rebuilt myself within that ring, that ring that became lost in the mortal world until only a decade ago." The monster taunted the glowing figure, driving Yami closer to madness and the destruction of his soul, "Can you truly not tell what has been going on?"

The pharaoh's red eyes began to glow now that Seth was out of the way, his fury drawing a dangerously high amount of shadow magic into his body. Anger saturated his voice as he scorned the nauseating creature addressing him. "Do not play games with me weak one. You are not worthy of my time."

"Not worthy of your time." The creature's voice screeched in violent protest, "How dare you say that. When my plan is complete, all creatures of the shadow will worship me, their savior, their deliverer. And I…I will become all powerful, my strength constantly increasing with each human corpse I consume."

"You disgust me." Yami spit out, his words bursting with scorn, "Nothing but fools and lunatics would ever worship a creature such as you."

Lightening flashed continually in rampant fury, as the monster's bile spilled forth, "You know not that of which you speak, mortal. This human, this Mr. Hatahori that you've been hunting for so long worshipped me. He feel down on his knees and kissed my feet at the promises of money and power, money and power that I did give him for a time and in return, he gave me what I needed. He gave me the corpses of burned out children and the means to break the barrier between the shadow realm and the mortal realm. He injected the children with the formula I gave to him. The same formula used to make your talismans. Seeing the result he repented, but it was too late. He had already sold his soul to me. Time and time again, I made him feed me and when he took his own life, I took his body so I could remain active in the mortal realm and continue my plan to destroy the barrier between the two worlds. With each greedy human that bought one of those children from us, with each calling of a monster from the shadow realm, the barrier was weakened. Now, thanks to my efforts and some of your own little talismans, the barrier is about to break and my host is no longer of any use to me."

"So that is what you've been doing all this time. You've been starting up little mini-wars, aggravating humans into calling enough shadow monsters to weaken the barrier. And when it breaks, then what," the pharaoh harshly condemned the creature in front of him, "You think the other monsters will worship you in gratitude, you think you will have so many humans to eat that you will become invincible. Do you think that if I became a shadow monster, you would ever rule me?" Manic laughter mocked the gloating being, "You are a pathetic fool. All this planning for nothing. You are weak and you will always be weak. You never had any chance, especially against me."

"You dare to say that. Especially now…now that the barrier is about to be broken and you yourself are about to lose your soul," the Devourer screamed in rage and a ring glowed somewhere on the roof, "Reaper of Souls and Vampire Lord, attend me! Ghouls and Goblins, ghosts and zombies, come now and destroy this arrogant being!"

The sky bucked and vibrated as repulsive, rotting creatures fell against the sky bubble's surface, stretching and distorting it like saran wrap before pushing through the barrier to fall to the ground and approach the undaunted, golden man standing in the center of the roof.

Yami's laughter echoed as it gained a frantic, insane edge, his voice ridiculing all things around him. He felt the madness return, bloodlust dominating his thoughts. This fool thought a few monsters could defeat him, a god among gods. With just a thought, he called forth monster after monster, surrounding himself with power, each monster's appearance weakening the barrier and increasing his insanity. Soon, the Black Luster Knight, the Flaming Swordsman, and a million others surrounded him, each attacking at his behest. "Do you think these monsters will worship you fool, these who have served me for so long!" Laughter continued to escalate as the rooftop became saturated in fluids and unidentifiable body parts. Monster tearing into monster, claw meeting claw, magic deflecting magic, bodies exploding in a conflagration of inhuman color.

Striding though the massacre, Yami approached the incredulous frozen figure of his enemy, his turn to gloat having arrived, protecting his back was none other than the Dark Magician. "Is this your power Devourer? Did you eat body after body and still only gain this much power?" Slowly, Yami lifted his hand, ready to decimate the being in front of him with his own, long held ability to crush the minds and souls of others when a voice broke through his insanity, when his soul felt the approach of its other half.

"You suicidal idiot! What are you doing up here!"

Spinning, Yami starred, pupil's again visible, heart breaking and sanity returning as he took in the appalled, blue-eyed face pinning him too place. Seto was looking at him, and reflected in the man's blue eyes, he saw a monster.

Above the cacophony of battle, a young boy's scream wrenched Seto's eyes away from him. Yami, still hurting, followed his dragon's gaze, only to see that his distraction had put Seth into danger. While he had been looking at Seto, the Devourer had been escaping, pausing only to take Seth as hostage. Thankfully, Seth was no passive hostage. Violently, the young body convulsed and twisted in his captor's grip, desperately trying to get away and slowing the other's progress to the edge of the roof.

"Halt! You will go no further!" Yami demanded, voice deadly enough to halt the other in its tracks. He saw desperation in the creature's eyes and he knew not to try anything at the moment. There was no telling what an animal would do when cornered.

The Devourer leveled its putrid gaze at the pharaoh and growled, "You may be able to destroy these monsters but you can't stop the barrier from breaking. You can't save this child and you can't save this world. How does it feel to know that this world is doomed and you contributed to its downfall?"

Having somewhat returned to his senses, Yami lowered his head and dropped to one knee startling all the on-lookers, the continual battle grinding to a temporary cessation. "What is it you want? Do you want me as your slave? You've already stated that it is too late to save the world. Allow me at least to save the boy. Will you take me as hostage in his place?"

"You?" the devourer went from incredulous to vindictive, "You would give yourself to me? You would allow me to do to you anything that I wanted? You would swear to call no other monster to your aid?"

"I swear to you that, if you release Seth, until one of us is destroyed, I am yours to do anything with as you wish. I swear that I will not call any monsters to my aid." Yami's voice was sure and even, his words witnessed by all the monsters surrounding them. Each monster was filled with the knowledge of how powerful the Devourer had just become. The Devourer now controlled one of the most powerful beings ever.

"No Yami! Don't!" Yami felt his heart warm as Seto's words drifted across to him, his concern easily evident.

"We all do what we must. Out life's journey is determined by the strength of our souls." Yami looked deep into Seto's eyes as the other struggled to approach him with his battered body. "I trust in the strength of your soul Seto. You will survive this."

Seto starred into Yami's face and tried to decipher what the other was trying to say to him. Did Yami mean for him to fight? Did he mean for him to save Seth?

Again secure in its superiority, the Devourer threw Seth towards Seto, reaching out instead to embrace the approaching pharaoh, "You have no conception of the hell to which you have just condemned yourself. I will truly savor each moment of your suffering." Wrapping a deformed arm securely around Yami, trapping his arms to his side. "And your suffering starts now."

The Devourer lifted its free hand, causing the jacket that had once belonged to the deceased Mr. Hatahori to levitate towards him. With malicious ease, he withdrew from the pocket a modified tranquilizer gun, one adapted to shoot long, pointed medical needles. The interesting device was set to fire the needle, the plunger designed to depress upon impact thereby injecting high quantities of a drug into a victim's blood stream or musculature. "I think I will allow Seth to see his 'friends,'" the creature snarled in disgust, "one more time before I consume his burned out body." The Devourer aimed the gun at Seth who had been running towards the suffering form of his father, depressing the trigger just as the young boy reached his destination.

"No! Seth!" Yami screamed and then his eyes widened in horror at the happenings of the next two seconds.

Seto had fallen to his knees on his trip across the roof, but had otherwise managed to remained upright. As the projectile approached his small son's back, he shoved the boy down, taking the dart into his own heart.

"Noooooo!" the pharaoh's agony touched the heart of even some of the monsters on the roof, each one that was not pure evil, bowing their heads in respect as the former priest fell to the ground to the accompaniment of Seth's screams, "Father, father."

The tall brunet convulsed around the needle buried in his heart, eyes turning black as iris gave way to pupil. The pain was excruciating, the pressure seemed to tear him apart. Time became irrelevant as his mind sank into itself, making Seto wander down dark, endless catacombs. He passed his trophy room, he descended the hidden stairwell to view his room of forgotten and buried memories and then he kept moving. He kept moving until he reached the core of his soul and witnessed the magnificence sleeping there.

He stared in wonder at three, resting blue-eyed white dragons. Cautiously, he approached the one lying closest to him. Hand trembling, he reached out to stroke the majestic sweep of its forehead. Huge, sleep-filled eyes blinked open causing Seto to rapidly withdraw his trembling appendage, the fanged jaw gapped in the approximation of a yawn. The monster's gaze slowly came into focus to examine the spirit hovering in front of it. Closing its mouth, the monster blinked and then seemed to radiate with joy. How Seto knew it was radiating with joy and not anger, he wasn't sure. He just knew.

"Master!"

The deep, booming voice filled the air around him as if thrown at him from all sides. Suddenly, two other sets of giant blue eyes flashed open and long necks swung upward into a completely awake and alert position.

"Master? He's here?" This voice vibrated through the room like the first, only instead of being deep, it was soft and feminine.

"He's there! Look! He's over there! Our master has come to visit us!" This voice was male but it was more a tenor where the first voice had been a bass.

"You've come to see us again master," the female voice uttered while one of the dragon's bowed its head and nudged Seto's whole body in affection. Seto just stood stunned as he received the affection the three massive beasts showered on him. Gradually, he caressed each of there heads and flanks, revealing in the perfection and strength of their forms.

Coming out of his haze and still stroking each beast in turn, "You speak? And I can understand you? And one of you is female?"

He heard all three chuckle at his expense before the bass answered. "Of course we can speak master. We are creations of your soul. Is it possible that we would be too stupid to develop our own language?"

A grin split his face for the first time since he could remember. His dragons were real and they lived inside him, "Of course not. You are all geniuses, I'm sure of it."

The tenor broke in, "Now you see the source of our humility."

Interrupting the moment of joy reluctantly, the female asked, "Is there a reason you have come to summon us master? Do you need out assistance?"

"Do I need your assistance?" Seto repeated back as he blinked at her stupidly, only for the fantastic events of the last few days to flash though his mind like a cheep B-rated movie. "Oh my god! He's in trouble. He saved my son and now he's in trouble because of it!"

Seto watched as the three dragons twisted necks to look at each other knowingly, the tenor addressed him, "_He_ is in trouble is he? Well then, we have no choice but to go save him." Battle-lust bled into the animals' eyes as the female directed a statement at Seto, "Lead us into battle again master. We are ready to serve you."

Dizziness overwhelmed Seto for the hundredth time that day, but this time, when his mind steadied, it steadied completely. He was again on the roof, crouching on the floor lengths away from that thing that was holding Yami captive.

"Father!"

"Kaiba?"

Seto craned his neck to see both Bakura and Seth standing over him, Seth with concern and Bakura with calculation.

"Keep quiet." Seto barked, slowly pushing himself to his feet, all his injuries unfelt and ignored. Power ran through his body and he needed an outlet. Scanning the roof, he took in all the monsters that were again locked in an eternal battle. Deeming them unworthy of his attention, he continued to look. Finally, his eyes settled on the perversion of Yami's body, hovering in the air wrapped in the grasp of a sickening green mist. Something about that mist infuriated him. Seto felt his body change, he felt the shadows approach him; he registered their clinging presence as they entered his ears, nose, and mouth. He knew when the shadows grasped the creatures bellowing a battle cry in the depths of his soul, and he knew when they approached the gateway that the shadow magic had created to the mortal realm right above his heart. In the back of his mind he exalted in the terror exhibited by Seth and Bakura as they scrambled away from him while at the same time remembering that it was they he was fighting to protect. The two parts struggled briefly before his protective side won.

The sounds of clashing swords, roaring monsters, and dying screams were halted abruptly when the three magnificent creatures appeared trumpeting a warning for all to hear. The lightening illuminated the brilliant white of their hides, their purity dispelling the surrounding darkness. Succumbing to their master's need for revenge, the dragons decimated the undead population on the roof with their own luminous and deadly burst of electricity, their awesome power eliminating all but the monsters that served the pharaoh. Upon finishing their task, they settled lightly to the ground in a semi-circle around their master only to bellow in anger at the voice, which dared to mock them.

"So what will you do now, priest? I hold your lover in my grasp and I, myself, am little more than mist at the moment. How will you destroy the mist and how will stop what even your pharaoh couldn't"

Seto's eyes flashed in vindictive glee as he spoke to mock the other, "You are nothing to the likes of us. You think you defeated him with your little trick. Did you not know that his promise not to harm you did not preclude me harming you? He knew all along that your death was to be my pleasure. You are simply the fool that attacked the wrong enemy."

A growl traveled the night sky as the mist tightened around the floating body drawing a groan from between fangs. Voice brimming with unfounded superiority, the monster continued to brag, "Wrong enemy? You think that you, a mere human can defeat what the pharaoh could not with all the added power of a shadow monster? I appreciate our effort to make me laugh before you die? You can't even attack me as long as I hold him. You are helpless."

Seto just laughed, expression condemning the other as a slug, a slimy, skinless creature to low and disgusting to deal with, "The only beings that are truly helpless are those that forget the source of their power." At that moment, Seto gestured to one of the beasts surrounding him and that beast immediately went to retrieve the small grotesque prize Seto sought.

Disbelieving, the Devourer scorned Seto who now held the detached arm of the former Mr. Hatahori, "You think that the human was the source of my power. You are the fool."

Seto just smirked as he withdrew something from the limp fingers. "Not the man, but the link. The one remaining item that allowed you to remain in this world. The thing that created the elixir you've been injecting children with left and right. In fewer words, the ring." Eyes narrowed in victory, Seto threw the shinning bit of metal into the air above his head. It arced through the air, reflecting the light for a few brief moments before three streams of pure, white fire met above the brunet's head to incinerate the small item.

Suddenly, the bubble popped but no creatures fell out. Instead, the wind picked up, creating a whirling vortex that sucked up all matter made of shadows. Oddly, the wind did not even stir Bakura, Seth, Seto, or the three blue-eyes. It only seemed to attach itself to monsters and shadow matter. Blood, body parts, and whole creatures were picked up and pulled towards the portal like so much debris into a black hole.

Caught up in the nightmarish whirlwind, Seto's heart stopped. There, close to the portal, was none other than Yami. He too was being sucked into the other world. His heart revolted. This could not happen. The other was not allowed to leave him for any reason.

"Blue-eyes!" Seto demanded and one of his beasts bent, allowing him to mount. Up he soared at an incredible speed, heart racing with exhilaration at the power he felt in his control. He had said he would never allow the other to leave and he would be damned if the other ever did. Quickly, he approached the hole, framed on two sides by the remaining two blue-eye's. Periodically, one of them would spout flame to repel one of the weaker creatures being pulled into the portal. Seto screamed in frustration as his mount stopped short of his destination.

"What! What are you doing! We have to get him!"

"No master! We cannot! If we take you any closer to the shadow realm you will be sucked in yourself. Without your rod, you'd have no way to get back out and you would surely die a horrible death."

"I don't care!" Seto shouted as he watched Yami whirl around, getting closer and closer to the dark world visible through the portal in front of him. "One of you get him and bring him close enough!"

Seto heard the female, "I will try master but I cannot guarantee anything. We can barely hold our ground here. The vortex is trying to suck us in too. We are somewhat safer because we are tied to you, a mortal, but this close to the shadow world, that tie matters less." Suddenly, one of the dragons rocketed away from his side, wings fighting mightily against the winds, struggling towards Yami's tossing figure. She came close to him but she was fighting a losing battle, each moment she lost ground.

"No! Please gods No!" Seto screamed as half the dragon's body disappeared into the portal, Yami's body mere moments from following.

Now suck up to her neck, the monster made her last seconds in the mortal world count for something. She may not have been able to carry out her master's last wish, but she could make it so one of the others had a chance. Painfully, she stretched her neck out to its full length, thereby letting her shove the pharaoh back away from the portal before she disappeared.

Seto starred on in sorrow as one of his soul beasts disappeared from his site after such a short time together. Tears blurring his eyes, he again began to watch as the pharaoh resumed his approach to the portal.

"Master!" Seto looked over at the tenor, "I have a plan!"

Mind sharpening at the ray of hope, he shouted over the noise, "What!"

"Look there! It's the pharaohs soul monster."

Looking to the spot the dragon had indicated, he saw the dark magician being throw around on his way into the portal "What of it!"

"Think master! A shadow monster cannot really harm his/her master. That's why the serpent's poison couldn't hurt your little girl. It could only temporarily stun her until she developed a full immunity. If I can get the magician close enough to your pharaoh, he can blast him over to you."

Without further explanation, the second dragon jettisoned towards the dark magician. Seto did not know if the monsters could communicate with each other but the magician seemed to be fighting its way towards the white rocket. Finally, the two met and the Dark Magician mounted the dragon, the two merging into another creature entirely. Seto looked on in wonder as the now, more powerful being fought its way towards the pharaoh.

Yami blurrily opened his eyes only to find himself nauseated by the twirling colors and violent wind surrounding him. He had a moment's sympathy for any clothing he had ever put into a dryer. He swore to use a line from then on. Confused and disoriented by vertigo, he focused on something flying towards him, a voice reaching his ears just barely,

"Master! My pharaoh! This will hurt but only for a moment! I always have and I always will protect you!"

Yami blinked, and whispered, "Mahaado?" He watched as the figure mounted on the approaching dragon's back leveled a staff at him and fired. His chest felt like it was just hit by a sledgehammer as multi-colored lights danced in front of his eyes, his body flung backwards until a warm hand closed around his wrist.

"Hold on!" a familiar voice shouted pulling him up onto an airborne mount. Exhausted, Yami looked over his shoulder to see his dragon, arm now clasped around his waist to keep him from being stolen by the wind, guiding none other than one of his blue-eyed white dragons to the roof top. Upon hitting the ground, Seto dismounted, never letting go of Yami. Yami felt himself pinned flat to the ground by the full-length of his dragon's body, his dragon's dragon towering over them both. Eventually, the wind died down and Yami felt the pull on his body dissipate.

Yami felt a rumble against his chest when his protector spoke, "This is the last time I'm going to save you damn it." Yami grunted as Seto collapsed into unconsciousness, only to follow the brunet's path moments later.

The dragon snorted, content now that his task had been complete. Slowly he lowered his neck to stare at the white-haired one before sending a telepathic command. "Protect them."

Bakura starred back, "Do I look like the nurturing type to you?"

The blue-eyes growled and Bakura knelt rapidly down beside the unconscious pair, "I've always wanted to be a mother."

Giving a final blue glare, the monster disappeared.

Seth stood paralyzed as he whispered to the now clean, still air. "Whoa! That was my dad's. Bella is never going to believe this."


	16. Chapter 16

Title: Shadow Wars

Disclaimer: I don't own them and I am not making any money.

The rest of the stuff, everyone probably knows by now

Chapter 16:

Seto was at peace sitting in the depths of his own soul. His back was snug against one male's massive side and the female's head was resting in his lap where he could easily stroke her, the contact reassuring him that she was well. The third white beast lay prone, neck arched over the female's back and tail laying over the other male's hindquarters. The three massive dragons enclosed him in a triangle of affection, their contented purring having long since banished his tension.

"So you killed him? It's really all over?" Seto tilted his head back to look at the dragon upon which he was leaning.

"Yes, master." The bass rumbled, "In the shadow realm the dark magician and we destroyed forever the Devourer of Copses. He will never bother the mortal world again."

With the hand that wasn't stroking the head in his lap, he patted the bass's smooth hide, "So its over. All the bad guys are dead." Every so often, Seto reconfirmed what his dragons had already told him. "And you're back? You're inside me again?"

The tenor wrapped its neck around into a U-shape until he faced Seto. "Master. We are always with you even when our bodies are in the shadow realm. We are you're soul monsters and this is your soul. Our bodies exist in the shadows, but our hearts remain with you."

The female blinked and raised her head from her master's lap. It was time to break the cycle of questions and reassurance. It was time for their master to return to his duties. Sorrowfully she looked down at him. "That is true master, and we wish for you to always be with us but…you know you can't stay with us here, trapped in the deepest confines of your soul, don't you?"

"What?" Seto looked up at her in confusion, "Isn't this my own soul? Am not free to so what makes me happy even here?"

"Of course you are master, but a man's body cannot live forever with his soul in hiding. You must wake and face life. The enemies are dead, but you are far from finished with living."

Seto faltered. He felt safer here than he had since he learned death could take everything from you in an instant, since he learned that circumstance could force a young boy to grow up well before the passing of his childhood. He didn't want to leave. Here in his own mind, he voiced complaints that he would normally stifle, "Far from finished? What is left for me to do? Why can't I stay here with you?"

"Master!" the bass scolded him, "Have you forgotten your responsibilities? Have you forgotten all the good people in your company that count on you to stand between them and the corrupt bureaucrats? Have you forgotten your brother and the two children that love you and need your support? Have you forgotten HIM?" The Dragon put a subtle emphasis on the word him. Unfortunately, subtle emphasis when your 5,000 pounds is booming.

"Him?" Seto's whisper seemed to cut through the clouds of white that surrounded him like a haze. "No, I haven't forgotten him. I will never forget him, but he will soon forget me. He has already declared that he is going to leave me." Seto's eyes pleaded with the creatures, "Thinking about it…it makes me so tired. I am always so tired. Can't someone else carry the burdens that were mine for a while? Can't I stay here with you?"

The dragon's looked at each other before focusing on their master one by one. The bass addressed him. "Have you given up already? Do you have no hope that you can make him stay?"

"Hope!" Seto scoffed as he stood, his peace now completely gone. "How can there be hope? In light of all this." Seto gestured at his surroundings including in his sweep the three monsters staring at him, "how can I continue to deny what he told me in the hospital. Yami is slated to die…again. There is nothing he can do to stop it." Seto turned his back on his dragons, voice straining, "There is nothing _I_ can do to stop it."

The tenor sighed, "There is only nothing left to do when you've given up. If you give up and stay here, you will die, and though that is one way to join him, it is not a course of action I would ever have attributed to you. Self-sacrifice maybe, but not surrender." Seto listened and hung his head in shame. No, not to long ago, it was an option that he would never so much as entertain. Maybe he was getting weak. "No master you are not getting weak." Seto looked startled. He hadn't said that out loud had he? The dragons' eyes sparkled briefly in amusement. "We live inside you master. We can read a thought or two. We understand your weariness and respect it. We still believe, however, that when you remember that for which you fight, you will not choose to bow out of life yet. Here, let me show you something." The dragon knelt, prompting Seto to mount. Seto obliged and immediately was consumed by a feeling of disorientation, of movement without moving, similar to the feeling one got if standing alone in the center of a fast moving elevator. He experienced travel without sight, hearing, or touch…he didn't even feel the figure that he only moments ago straddled. He was sensory blind until…light.

Seto blinked trying to adjust to the burst of light. When he could see again, he noted he was hovering over himself and Yami's bodies both of which were lying side-by-side in his bed. He was sitting on his dragon, which was lightly flapping its wings to stay alight near the skylight in his bedroom. The light arching through the window did not cast their joint shadow to obscure the bed's occupants, however. Instead, it passed through them as if they were not even there. Examining the window briefly, he noted that he needed to have someone come and clean the glass. Returning to his inspection of the room's occupants, he saw that his body above the sheet looked a mess. It was paler than usual, covered in bandages and his arm that was carefully laid, underside facing up, was peppered with an assortment of tubes and needles. Yami, on the other hand, looked much better aside from the addition of a shoulder bandage. He appeared to be almost human again. The fangs were shorter and the nails seemed less like claws. The tattoo on his skin had become practically invisible.

Seto's gaze was drawn to the side of the bed only to raise a metaphysical eyebrow. Sitting on the edge of a chair placed at the bedside to the right of Seto's IV bags was Bakura. The man's elbows were braced on the bed, fingers interlocking to form a base on which Bakura was resting his head. The white haired man seemed to be lost deep in thought. Never in a million years had Seto imagined seeing Bakura guarding his sick bed. Seto's examination of the thief was halted by a tentative knock on the door.

"Come in." Bakura grumbled without looking up. He must know who was at the door if he wasn't jumping to his feet. Bakura tended to be antsy when he didn't know who was approaching him, an artifact of life as a thief Seto supposed.

"How are they doing?" Seto was surprised again by the appearance of another white head. Ryou was here.

Bakura just waggled his head no, never lifting his chin from his folded fingers.

Ryou approached the seated figure and continued in a soft, soothing voice while rubbing random patterns on his boyfriend's hunched back. "I finally got the children to go to bed. They are afraid of losing him. They don't know what to do."

Bakura grunted and Seto was curious. Bakura was usually more vocal than this. A matter of fact, there were times when he had seriously contemplated cutting the other's tongue out only to be stopped by his brothers odd liking for the demented security guard.

"Bakura? Are you sure it's good to have Seto and Yami in the same bed. Don't you think that will upset one of them when they wake up? If you want, we can put them in separate rooms and I'll watch one of them."

"That's not an issue, Ryou. Neither will ever know." Seeing the question in his boyfriend's face he headed off the question with a torrent of nonsense. "I'm looking forward to seeing Se…Kaiba pissed off. Let him blow a gasket when he sees Yami beside him. Anyway, this bed is huge…"

"Bakura."

"I mean, just look at it. It's monstrous, positively obscene. I mean it would be perfect if he ever threw a good orgy but…"

"Honey."

"Look at it. If it was a water bed, we could bury the bottom in the back yard, cut off the top, and have an in ground pool."

"Bakura!" Ryou yelled right into his boyfriend's face.

"Geez! Watch the ears. I would like to use them at another date you know. Anyway, you really shouldn't yell. I called you over here to help with the brats. Your not helping if you wake them back up."

"Enough ignoring the subject Bakura. What did you mean when you said them being in bed together wasn't an issue?"

Ryou just shook his head at his boyfriend's distraction tactics. Bakura sighed and tried once more to cover up his mistake. "They're lovers okay…sweethearts. They have been since ancient Egypt."

Ryou rolled his eyes and pushed Bakura back in his chair. Carefully, he settled sideways onto his boyfriend's lap. "I know that Bakura. I'm not blind. They've always been like that and they still wouldn't want to wake up next to each other…not yet. Neither is ready for that kind of vulnerability." Gently he rested his forehead against Bakura's looking deep into the others eyes, "That's not what you meant anyways. You lived in my soul remember. I know when you're hiding something from me."

Bakura growled quietly, "You're a pain in my ass, you know that."

Ryou just smirked, "Yes, and you love me for it. Now tell me what's going on."

Bakura, the eternal sneak tried one more evasion. "You don't want to know."

Ryou, the saint of patience, persevered. "Tell me anyway."

Bakura pursed his lips as he butted Ryou's forehead away, "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you." Bakura started to knead Ryou's thigh, a nervous habit of his, "It's not an issue because Yami is not likely to survive long enough for Seto to wake up and see him there."

"What?" Ryou shot out of Bakura's lap dislodging the others grip.

"I told you. I told you that you didn't want to know." Bakura raked finger's through his hair frustrated at his helplessness and angry that he cared, "Yami's body is made from materials in the shadow realm. If he gets too much power, he losses his soul and If he gets too little power, he losses his body. Last night he almost lost his soul."

Bakura stood and paced to the other side of the bed where he promptly pulled the sheet which had been neatly tucked up to the sleeping figure's armpits down the figure's knees. Ryou narrowed his eyes.

"I am not ogling his body." Bakura snapped. He was tired and not ready to deal with the other's, admittedly justifiable, distrust. "You see that pattern, the one that's almost gone now."

Now curious, Ryou approached the bed and studied the prone man. "Yes. What about it?"

"That is the sign that Yami is turning into a shadow monster. Humans that turn into shadow monsters change form. That is the major change that Yami started to undergo. If the pattern had turned completely black and had covered Yami's entire chest and back, he would have been beyond help." Bakura waved his arms about in aimless emphasis, "That almost happened. The pattern was complete everywhere except for a small section above his heart. If the pattern succeeded in covering that too, he asked me to kill him." Bakura threw the sheet back over Yami until it practically covered the man's face before he stomped over to the window to gaze at the lawn outside, "I'm the King of Theives, not the King of Killers. Not that I would mind killing him but I damn well won't do just because he ordered me to."

Ryou carefully fixed Yami's sheet before walking up to his Koi's back, gently placing a hand on one bent shoulder.

Roughly Bakura shrugged him off, his voice oddly choked, "I'm only angry because it didn't happen. I wanted to kill that smug bastard okay. Really, I did."

Ryou leaned his whole body against Bakura's back, arms wrapping around his waist, "I know Koi, I know."

"You know, he's still gong to die. Before the portal closed, he had too much shadow magic. Now, he has to little. He is sustained only by what is stored in his body and that supply dwindles every second. If he hadn't been so saturated by power in the battle, he would probably already be dead. On the up side, at least he's cosmetically superior again…stupid multi-colored, spiky-haired asshole." Bakura uttered every sentence methodically, apathy coloring even the insult.

"How long?" Ryou asked.

"I estimate twenty-four hours tops, if I don't smoother him first."

"Is there nothing we can do?"

Bakura let out an embittered laugh, "The only thing we can do is hope that the bastard doesn't figure out how to help himself. I guess I finally have a reason to pray."

Ryou stood straight. He knew his Koi didn't mean that. He just didn't express grief well. Time to change the subject. "The raid was successful. We found the complex under the orphanage. Yugi, Joey and the rest of the gang are all there trying to help the children through the chaos that's inevitably ensued. Seto's lawyers are out in force. It was a good thing you did, using the proxy authority Seto gave you to save those children."

Bakura was back to grunting and Seto was back to blinking rapidly. Bakura saved the children under the orphanage. Even he had forgotten that…and after his promise to Seth.

"We told them that it was Seto, Yami, and Bakura that saved them. You have a few worshippers now."

Ryou smiled as color filled Bakura's cheeks, "Great! That is just what I've always wanted. Just call me god of the demented brats." Under his breath he whispered, "Like I need a horde of midgets worshipping me. The little girl is bad enough."

"How is Seto? Mokuba will wake up soon and I am sure he'll have a million questions. I mean he's waking up to a whole new family unit. The paper work is complete and the two are officially Kaiba's regardless of what happens."

Bakura turned around and hugged Ryou too him. Pout evident in his voice if not on his face. Seto gagged. "You always worry about everyone but me. He's fine. He probably won't wake before Mokuba, but he'll wake up eventually."

Ryou hid a chuckle in the other's shoulder. What a big baby. "What do you mean I don't worry about you? Why would I need to worry about the King of Thieves?"

Bakura continued to pout, "You never even asked me what I was doing while the undead were raining from the sky. I don't have my ring anymore you know. I can only kill so many monsters with my bare hands. The only reason I was fine was because that stupid gold dragon of Yami's took it into it's head that I was a fortress that needed guarding."

"And did you need guarding?" Ryou teased.

Bakura growled again, "Of course I needed bloody guarding. Over half the damn things on the roof thought of me as dinner and my only allay was my worst-enemy-turning-monster. Geez, one would think you wanted me eaten."

"Don't be ridiculous love," Ryou thumped Bakura's chest, "The only one allowed to eat you is me."

Voice dry, Bakura replied, "Great, I am so reassured."

"Talking about the battle, did you ever find out why the Devourer was on the roof? Why not just hide in the shadows until the damage was done? Why push a confrontation?"

Bakura shrugged, "Who knows? Shadow monsters are confrontational by nature. Maybe he came out because he wanted revenge on Yami and maybe he was an idiot. The most likely possibility was he knew we were gathering information and he wasn't sure that we weren't capable of stopping him. Therefore he decided to take care of us himself. After all, all other attempts at taking only Kaiba's life had failed. Now he was looking at taking out three of us."

"True."

"See master. People are waiting for you. Your brother will wake soon, your children are scared, and even your head of security seems worried. Do you really want to stay with us until your body dies?"

Seto sighed and his shoulders slumped, "I guess that's not really like me, is it? No. I suppose I have to go back to my family with or without Yami."

The beast laughed at him and Seto was affronted, "Why don't you try with him first."

Seto's vision again became blurry as the sensation of movement returned. When his vision cleared, he was in front of a massive brick wall. This wall put the wall of china to shame. It seemed to stretch on forever both upward and outward.

"You know what the wall is don't you?"

"No, a matter of fact I don't." Seto was becoming slightly frustrated, "Do you recognize that all of you ask me a ton of questions?"

"Of course master. We are just here to guide you through the depths of your soul. We are helping you find the answers you already have. For instance, you should know this wall since it was you that built it to keep happiness out."

"To keep happiness out? You can't be part of my soul and honestly be that hokey," Regardless of his protestations, Seto studied the wall. He did know what it was. It was the wall he had built around his heart and mind to keep Yami out. Damn…he was a really good builder. Maybe he should go into construction.

"Can we get over it?" Seto asked eyes looking up and seeing no end to the wall.

"We can if you want to? It is your soul. Do you know whose on the other side?"

"Yes." Seto closed his eyes. No matter how much he objected, he wanted to see Yami again, even if it was only in his mind. "Take me up."

Again, Seto felt the displacement. When his senses returned, he saw that he was standing on a ledge at the top of the wall, the dragon flying behind him. In front of him, he saw the sandy plains of Egypt, their vastness interrupted only by a single pyramid, an arid breeze throwing golden strands into the otherwise clear air. "I have to go master. I cannot travel into that man's soul. Good luck to you."

"Wait!" Seto stopped the beast's departure. "Where is he? How do I find him?" Looking around him, "How the hell do I get down?"

"Jump, master. It is his world. If he does not want you hurt, you will not be. Sometimes you must trust in others enough to leap blindly. Goodbye master." The dragon's voice echoed back to Seto as it flew away.

"Jump blindly huh." Seto shifted from foot to foot nervously. How long had it been since he had trusted anyone blindly. Was he willing to place that much trust in Yami. Did he want to see the other that much? Seto answered himself. Yes. Yes he did. After all, his dragon was his soul monster and he was the one that told him to leap. That means that he really wants to right? Before he could have any further second thoughts, Seto closed his eyes and leaped. For a moment, his body felt weightless.

Startled, Seto opened his eyes to see a complete change of scenery. He was inside the most famous M. C. Escher painting ever completed, the one with all the stairs. All around him were stairs and doors traveling in impossible directions, up, down, sideways and diagonal. More importantly though, Yami wasn't here. Apparently, the other didn't want to hurt him but he also didn't want to be found. Well screw him. He said he loved him and he did not just jump into the jackass's soul to be ignored. Angrily, Seto shoved open the door closest to him and stormed in only to promptly fall through the floor as it collapsed beneath him. A hand on his wrist halted his rapid descent.

Effortlessly, Yami pulled Seto up onto solid ground, "Seto? Is that you?"

"What the fuck kind of soul room is this? Was that the room representing all the holes in your head?" Seto yelled at his rescuer and winced. He didn't mean to start this conversation on such a friendly footing.

Yami looked exasperated. Dryly he confirmed, "It is you." Studying the other man, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Seto blushed and walked back into the Escher room, "What do you mean 'what am I doing here?' I'm here to get your lazy ass of course. It's time for you to wake up so I can get back to my business. Don't be such an ass."

"You're being repetitive," Yami taunted lightly, back leaning against the threshold of the door in which he was standing. "You said I was an ass twice in a row."

Seto glared, "Well some things are worth repeating no matter how obvious."

"What a charming man, son. I see why you love him."

Seto spun to look for the source of the voice. It was beautiful. There she was, seated on a throne, delicate legs crossed at the ankle. She was stunning and her resemblance to Yami was obvious. Her hair was long, straight and mostly black. The black had a single burgundy streak that fell across the left side of her face and a single blond streak tucked behind her right ear. A simple coronet adorned her brow, its fragile point dipping between two pencil-fine, perfectly arched eyebrows.

It was easy to miss her at first, what with all the other…the room was just distracting as hell to look at. It was giving him a headache and he wasn't even in his own head. Shouldn't it be giving Yami his headache then?

"Mother? Why was it that Seto was led into a trap in my own mind?"

Seto watched as Yami aimed a level gaze at the woman who immediately looked guilty. Bitch. The woman was a beautiful bitch.

"It was for your own good. Look at what happened because you didn't forget about him last time you died. You stared at him everyday religiously, almost as if _he_ was the god. You left paradise to go save him and you almost became a monster."

Seto stared at the regal figure with whom he had reluctantly fallen in love. The man did leave paradise for him. Technically, he always knew that but he hadn't really examined it. Yami left paradise to come be with him, even though he knew it would only be for a short time. Maybe the other really didn't want to leave him…maybe.

Seto, quite frankly, ogled the small man as he walked up to the seated woman, kilt-like thing swishing to tease bronze legs, chest naked and oiled to a sheen. Stopping in front of her, Yami knelt to place his head in her lap. Seto was left visualizing a few scenarios where the small man knelt in front of him. Although, in these scenarios, Yami's head wasn't lying idle.

"Mother, why can't you understand? Why can't you help me find a way to stay alive? I will come back to you some day." Seto stared wide-eyed at the pleading tone of voice. He'd never heard that type of pleading from Yami. Well, there was that time but that had been more like desperate commands than pleading. Even the word Please uttered in a certain voice was a demand.

Seto looked up at the woman's face and he couldn't stop his heart from going out to her. She looked like she had just lost a loved one…or like she was about to. Seto fought down jealousy as the woman softly stroked Yami's hair. He didn't feel right about intruding on this for some reason. Seto lowered his eyes to study his feet and time passed.

Later, Seto wasn't sure how much time had passed exactly, the woman gently lifted Yami's chin so that he could look into her eyes. "Follow me." She ordered before standing and walking away. Seto waited for Yami to disappear from his sight forever and was surprised with what happened. Yami turned to face him and held out an open hand.

"Come with me." The words were neither demand nor plea. They simply were. Seto complied. He drifted smoothly across the room to take the other's hand. Looking over Yami's shoulder, he saw what was hidden from his view earlier by the weird configuration of the room and his position in it. Underneath one stairway was an archway. Through the archway, a paradise of green valleys and wild flowers was visible. Faintly, he heard the tinkling of water and his nose was assaulted by the scents of a hundred different exotic blooms. More fantastic than the valley however, was the isolated stairway that traveled up into a pure azure sky like Jacob's latter. The steps were seemingly disguised as clouds; their color a luminescent pure white. Taken aback, Seto allowed Yami to lead him onto the stairway only to have it light up where either of them stepped on it. Slowly, the stairway began to move. Cool. He was on an escalator to heaven. I guess only hell is made up of unending stairs. Looking back he remembered the layout of Yami's soul room and winced. Oops.

"Where are we going?" Seto whispered to Yami, uncomfortable with blindly following anyone for long.

Yami looked back at him and gave him an indulgent smile. "Don't know. Towards hope I guess.'

Seto looked skeptical, "Towards hope huh. I Hope you put a time limit on this outing. I'd hate to be at this forever."

Yami let go of the other's hand and placed the palm on Seto's cheek. Yami, who was standing one step above Seto, was, for once, eye to eye with the taller man. "I don't ever want to leave you." Seto looked on in wonder as a single tear traced down Yami's face before the other reclaimed his hand and faced the front again. "For that reason, I search for hope."

Seto's finger's convulsed in the other's grip. Was it really so bad to hope. Maybe he would. Maybe he could risk hoping for a good outcome to all this chaos. Consciously, he tightened his grip on Yami's hand. Again, a long time passed and Seto could swear they were leaving the earth's atmosphere but he felt no heat, no pain, and no pressure. Instead, he found himself increasingly surrounded by the stars. Black velvet, eternal night enveloped him in its majesty. He felt himself become disoriented. He was actual becoming used to the temporary disengagement of the senses that occurred on a regular basis for spirits if his own experiences were anything to go by.

This time when his eyes came into focus, he found himself in a palace unlike any he had ever seen. The floor was the night sky, black embedded with twinkling diamonds. To his left and right, pillars soured, each composed of swirls or stardust. They reminded him of the designs caught in the small rubber balls children periodically bought and destroyed. Leaning his head all the way back, he saw an arched ceiling covered in living murals and golden rain, meteor's dancing across the arch and different constellations moving to chase them around the ceiling. At the end of the hall was a bright light, one to brilliant to look at directly.

"Where are we?" a reverent sound passed Seto's lips.

"Shhhh. Kneel. We are in the presence of my father." Yami knelt and dragged Seto down using his current death grip on his hand as leverage. Luckily, the other was captivated enough by his surroundings that he complied without thought.

" Father, I respectfully request…"

"I know what you want." Seto froze. He thought his dragon's voice was booming. This one easily put the angry roar of a volcano to shame. Fortunately, the being did not sound angry. Seto went to look towards the light only to have his head shoved down by Yami.

Urgently Yami whispered, "Please."

Slanting a glare at the young man, he nonetheless complied and kept his head down. The next thing he knew, the air was filled with booming laughter. A meteor fell out of the ceiling and impacted one of the pillars, throwing sparks. Seto watched as it pressed against the surface, slowly moving through it until it could fly neatly into the night sky. "I see your dragon has not changed."

Seto bristled at being called anyone else's anything but again he kept his silence.

"I hear you again desire a body, son. Do you desire to leave us so badly?"

Respectful and humble Yami was a sight that Seto never thought he would see but here he was in full glory, "No, father. Of course not. I would never want to leave you. Rather, I want to go to him."

Again with the laughter, "I should not have made my sons politicians. I have little time." Becoming serious, the voice asked, "You now know the rules Yami. What is it that you have which you will give up? What material do you want me to use to make your new body?"

"Great and Honorable father, I was hoping that you could suggest something to me. Is there something that you would have of me?"

The light seemed to expand across the floor until it encompassed the two kneeling figures. "You have already served me well my son. There is nothing more I need of you. If you cannot think of anything, then I cannot help you."

"Now wait a minute." Seto surged to his feet, carefully avoiding eye contact with whatever was at the end of the hallway, "You just said he served you well. What's wrong with you?"

Seto fell harshly to the ground as Yami swept his feet out from under him. Frantically, Yami jumped his lover and covered his mouth with his hand, "Father forgive him. He doesn't know to who he speaks."

Again the laughter filled the air but this time it was darker, "He knows son, and he simply refuses to accept. For you, I will excuse him. That does not mean that I can help you. I am sorry my child. His responsibilities will be over in one mortal lifetime. I can promise to bring him to you once his time is over. That is all."

Seto struggled and Yami mourned. There was no way.

"Husband?" Yami and Seto looked at Isis. "There is one thing he could offer if you would allow." Seto stared incredulously at the woman who had led him into a trap a short while ago. Why was she helping now? He didn't trust her. Suddenly he felt a whisper across the top of his mind, "A bitch will do anything to help her child." Seto's eyes widened at the surreptitious smile the woman slid his way. She had heard that comment?

"Are his memories of his time spent with me not of great value?"

"Mother!" Yami yelled and rolled off Seto to rush to her side, "What are you saying?"

"You know what I am saying love. You asked me if there was a way and now I am showing it to you. Do not deny me this right. This will be the last gift I will be able to give you for a long while I think." Isis caressed her son's cheek. "You must also relinquish something of value to you for the body to attach to your soul. You'll have to forget that time as well."

Seto watched the war on his lovers face. Yami was being put in the horrible position of having to choose between his lover and his mother. Seto starred at the pain in the other's face and body and he couldn't take it. Life was not worth this cost. The voice was correct. They would be joined again someday. Seto wiped annoyed at a tickle on his face smearing moisture in his arms wake. Great, now the sky was leaking. "I can't allow you do that."

Isis looked over at the tall young man her son had always loved; his back was straight and his posture regal despite the tears streaking his face. Actually, it was very easy to see why her son loved this boy. She leaned down to kiss her son's cheek. "Do not sorrow my love. This simply means we will have a new beginning the next time you come to this world. Promise me that you will give up that small time we had together."

Yami nodded slowly, "I promise…and I promise that the next time we met, we will have even better times."

His mother laughed through the tears drowning her voice. Quietly she whispered to him, "How could it not be better? Next time I will have two sons to hassle instead of just one." She walked away from her son and stopped in front of Seto, the superior expression held by noblesse for centuries stamped on her face, "Boy, you are in no position to allow or not allow anything." She watched his ire rise with some amusement. She was grateful to him for lightening her heavy heart. Patting his cheek, she said gently, "Practice now listening to your mother, for next time that I see you, you will be one of my sons." Without further ado she walked into the light.

Yami's cheeks were streaked with tears as he ran into Seto's stunned arms. How could one be happy and sad at the same time? Suddenly a voice cut through his sorrow.

"Your and you're mother's sacrifice is noble, but it is not enough. Your time together was too short. I am sorry my son. Is there nothing else you can offer?"

"What?" Yami whispered in a choked voice. "You have to be kidding me."

Seto's eyes blazed in fury as he shouted towards the light. "Can't you see the pain you've caused him? How can you do this to your own son? How can the memories of his mother not be considered valuable enough? Maybe you should be banished to the Shadow Realm you monster."

Without any warning, the heat in the room became excruciating. Seto and Yami screamed in agony as they felt their skin coming to a boil only for coolness to return to their surroundings moments later. "That is your only warning cocky one. If there is nothing else…"

The voice paused as childlike whispers floated through the room. One after another, each with a solemn prayer and a sweet offering invaded the room's space and interrupted its stillness.

"Dear Miss Birdy Angel, please help Mr. Yams and Sets. If you do I'll give you Mr. Buttons…"

"God lady, take my favorite comb and help the nice people who set us free.."

"Dreamy person, I don't have much since I'm not very important but I do remember a nurse that used to sing me to sleep. You can have that memory if you help our helpers."

"I remember my sissies face before she was all burnt up. You can have that since you says I can see her gain somewhere cause she is waitin for me."

Soon, children's prayers filled the room, each more poignant than the last, each freely offering valued possessions or thoughts in an effort to help their saviors.

"What's going on?" Seto was getting tired of asking that question but he was truly lost in this kind of world.

Yami looked up at him in stunned amazement. It's the children Seto…the children Hydra trapped. My mother must have visited them in their dreams. She must have told them to pray for us, to offer willingly what they would to help us."

"You have got to be kidding." Seto continued to cling to his love as the voices bombarded his senses. So many young children were giving freely, without coercion of any kind and they were doing it for him, someone they had never met before. Did this kind of thing really happen?

"The floor vibrated with the next proclamation, "It is more than enough. I will see you when your time comes again. Until then, live well."

The floor disappeared again, a bad habit of floors around these damn places, and Seto was falling, Yami still clasped tightly in his arms. He blacked out.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Seto blinked, waking slowly. He was in desperate need of coffee, but god, he didn't want to move to get it himself. Slowly he rolled to the side to look at his alarm clock only to see a mop of white hair spread across his comforter. What the fuck? Bakura was sitting by his bed, head resting on its surface, soft snores escaping his lips. Confused, Seto noticed numerous IV stands occupying the space usually occupied by his nightstand, loose needles were lying next to him. Slowly he turned to look at the rest of the room only to note that he had another bed partner. The events of the last, however long it had been, flooded his mind. Anxiously, he shot up in bed and shook the figure next to him, whispering, "Yami…Yami wake up."

Groggily, Yami opened his eyes, "Wha…"

In an excited whisper, "Yami, you have your own body now, right! You're really alive." Seto watched as sharpness and intelligence returned to Yami's gaze. He allowed himself to savoir the others appearance as the man basically felt up his own body.

"Yes. Yes I do!" Yami proclaimed to Seto's shushing. Bakura stirred but fell back asleep.

Yami threw himself into the others arms, effectively knocking Seto onto his back, Yami's torso covering the taller figure like a blanket. Seto marveled at how painless his own body felt. It seemed that this latest little bit of magic…yes magic, in his life had done more than just grant his lover a body.

"I will never leave you my dragon. Never again will I make that mistake. I love you so much."

Seto felt himself start to restrain his own joy when he heard voices in his head, telling him to trust blindly, to take the leap. For once, he took his own advise and reached for happiness, "I love you too Yami."


End file.
